A Thief and a Knight
by TheKhajiitWarrior
Summary: A small incident while stealing during a festival in Maven Black-Briar's honor has left me in an uncomfortable situation. Faced with the option of a swift death or running, I chose the smarter option. It wasn't until a day later I realized I'd hidden out in the wagon of one of the most religious, chivalrous Khajiit knights in Skyrim. Femslash and mature in later chapters.
1. Riften's Finest

For once, I'm almost having fun. Delvin's right arm is hooked to my left while Sapphire's left arm is hooked to my right. To us it means putting aside our differences for one day to celebrate with one another. To everyone else it looks like three drunk, hatted fools stumbling around the festival and taking up far more space than what's required. Honestly, it's probably closer to being the latter. Sapphire and Delvin aren't my first choice for companionship, but Brynjolf told everyone we needed to work together to steal as much as possible during the celebration. I fail to see how sticking together gets us more loot; however, I don't question Brynjolf since he seemed to feel strongly about us all banding together.

Thus, I'm stuck stumbling around with Delvin and Sapphire with all three of us stuck in ridiculous outfits to blend with the crowd: Delvin has dressed in commoner's drab, brown unadorned clothing and a low-brimmed sunhat to conceal his face; Sapphire is wearing a noble's robe made of the richest purple with a tall, feathered hat covering her features; and I'm dressed in a brightly colored motley made of a thousand patches along with a traditional fool's hat adorned with bells to hide my own face. The fact we're all stumbling around drunk and laughing at a joke Delvin made an hour ago, shockingly, doesn't make us stand out given the atmosphere of the carnival around us.

Dazzling, tremendous banners are hanging all around the city; performers dressed in light colors are running around the streets and shoving through celebrators; the celebrators themselves are dressed in all sorts of clothing with a few even wearing masks; and stands and wagons are set up all along the city with merchants hawking their wears. The Black-Briar emblem is stamped on everything with, occasionally, the symbol of the Order of the Knights of the Nine appearing. This celebration is meant for every citizen in Riften to enjoy because they've recently come under the "merciful" rule of Maven Black-Briar. The Order of the Knight of the Nine is apparently here with the intent of getting a foothold in Skyrim using Riften. As always, Maven has her own reasons for throwing the celebration.

Brynjolf assured us this was all some ploy to let the Thieves Guild steal as much as possible; however, I also personally think that this is an attempt to get the citizens of Riften to quietly accept her rule instead of raising any physical or verbal resistance while showing she has the backing of a religious group of holy knights who aren't afraid to chop a sinner's head off. Thankfully, my job isn't to sit around and think deeply about what Maven Black-Briar is doing or why. My job is to find things to steal. My stomach and head are both a bit warm and fuzzy from the drinks I've been snatching from passing people for the last few hours, though that won't stop me from doing my job right.

I keep leading my chain of temporary friends through the city while bumping into people, knocking over displays, and shoving aside merchants. Usually, our actions would draw attention, but today there are so many people acting rowdy that everyone just watches us pass before cleaning up whatever we've destroyed. Thankfully, in the midst of our destruction I see the perfect target. A fat, robed man who screams of wealth. All of his clothing is purple and adorned with what appears to be golden thread. Oblivion, the tremendous faux crown atop his head appears to have gold leaf around the edges.

Definitely a rich man and, from the way he's stumbling and screaming some song only he knows, drunk beyond his senses. The cherry on top is the dark, secluded alley beside the entrance to Riften where he's standing. There's a hundred people around us; though, the crowd means everyone's less likely to actually pay attention or stop any crime they see. Those reasons are why I pull Delvin and Sapphire in close to whisper in their ears.

"See the fat, purple guy over there? Let's get 'em.". Both of my friends frantically nod and all three of us begin working in tandem to make our way over to the singing man. The bright, thick crowd takes a few minutes to bump through before we're standing in front of the drunken man dressed in deep violet. Delvin and Sapphire both wait for me to make the move since I've unofficially become the head of the monstrosity we make all chained together. I try to do my best to lure the man into the alley without using force. Hopefully, my plan will work out.

"Friend!". He looks at me with the biggest smile imaginable. Then, he slurs out something encouraging.

"Friend! How long it's been! How's your mother?". I'm not sure who he's mistaken me for, but I go with it. It's better if he believes me an old acquaintance rather than a random person who happens to be friendly.

"She's wonderful as always. Now, I must fear I have to talk to you about business. I have a barrel of wine of the finest make, but the taste is off to me. I brought it for the carnival to celebrate, though, when I tasted it I stowed it away in the alley behind you until I could find someone cultured enough to tell me if it's good enough to serve.". I jerk my arms to draw his attention to both Delvin and Sapphire. Already, the man's eyes are wide and he's licking his lips at the mere idea of an entire barrel of fine wine.

"I've gotten these two good fellows to agree to taste the wine with me. Please, move aside so I might find out if I've been swindled or not.". The man swallows the bait and doesn't move. Instead, he does exactly what I want.

"My friend, don't be rash! Let me accompany you and taste your wine for myself. I'm sure I can tell you more than either of these supposed experts can.". I pretend to chew the idea over for a minute. All the while, the man before me looks at me with begging eyes and obvious desire written across his face. I nod and fake relenting to the idea of him coming with us.

"Very well. I suppose no harm could come from having one more tongue taste my bargain. Come, let us all go and sample my stash.". The man flips around on his heel and disappears into the darkness of the alley. Instantly, Delvin and Sapphire both chuckle. Although, I'm not sure it they're laughing at our target's gullibility or the fake "regal" tone I took on to fool the man into doing as I wished. Either way, all three of us pursue the man into the alley. As we walk, we drop our arms and reach for our weapons. Delvin pulls a small dagger from his boot, Sapphire takes a spiked mace from her robes, and I take out my misericorde from a pocket in my hat.

The drunken man is at the end of the alley looking around with a puzzled look on his face. Subtly, all three of us pull out hats down just a tiny bit lower to hide our identities better. Hopefully, things will all go as planned. We'll show our weapons, bare our teeth, and disappear into the crowd with the man's gold safely in our pockets. Not terribly subtle, but we're aiming to rob as many people and that means getting it done clean and quick without any craftsmanship behind our ploys. Finally, when we're only a foot or two behind the man in the darkened alleyway he turns around. His eyes don't widen and his face doesn't pale. Instead, he puffs himself up and acts offended.

"What's the meaning of this?! You call me all the way back here and there's nothing!". Suddenly, his face falls and he takes a step towards us. All three of us remain silent, but share glances. I imagine my face mirrors the confusion both Delvin and Sapphire are feeling. We've never had a target act like this.

"Tell me, did someone steal your barrel?". I shake my head and take a step forward. I hold my weapon high and snarl at him.

"Turn out your pockets and give us everything you have, or else you'll end up regretting it.". The Guild doesn't kill, but that doesn't mean we can't beat the shit out of him. Or, preferably, threaten to kill him with our rather intimidating weapons to get him to fork over his gold without a fight. The man, however, doesn't seem to get that he's being robbed. Instead, he begins storming towards us while tossing his head back to look down his nose at us.

"If you won't tell me what happened to the wine, then I'll go find something else to placate my palate.". He moves to push Delvin and I away from each other. My friend and I move as one and grab the man's arms, then use all of our strength to shove him back. The royal stumbles back a few feet before, barely, managing to steady himself. His crown is pushed slightly to the side to show greasy, dark hair and his clothes are slightly ruffled. The man's red face tightens into a frown and his eyebrows descend until they're barley above his eyes. His yellow teeth reveal themselves as he snarls. The man once again tries to ford his way past Delvin and I. My companion and I force our shoulders together to form a human wall. The man frown deepens even further and he attempts to go through Sapphire and I.

My female comrade isn't as easily swayed as Delvin and I. Instead of shoving, she slashes her mace at him and manages to _rip_ open the front of his robes. A drab, grey undershirt is revealed as his purple robe dangles from his waist to his chest down to his knees. The snob grapples at his gut and sputters while stepping backwards. All three of us begin moving forward. The sound of boots behind us send all of us on edge. Nobody's coming for us, but activity around the lip of the alley is beginning to kick up. We're taking far too long to get this man's gold. I look at both my companions and nod. As one, we all charge the finely dressed man. He lets out a squeal like a pig as we fall upon him. Delvin slams his right arm against the wall behind him while Sapphire does the same to his left.

I begin patting him down and feel a large sack of gold inside his left pocket. The man opens his jaw to scream, but Delvin shoves his fist inside his maw. I pocket his gold, then go about stripping him of his jewelry. Footsteps are picking up behind us. Obviously, someone knows something is happening down here. Unfortunately, it looks like we'll have to scale the short outer wall of the city to our right to escape. I pick up the pace just to be safe. I'm taking a necklace off of his neck when it happens. He manages to break free of Sapphire's grip and swings for me. His hand was in no danger of hitting me.

That doesn't stop Sapphire from _cracking_ him over the skull with her mace in an attempt to subdue him. Usually, a hit like that wouldn't kill him. _Usually_. Somehow Sapphire has enough strength that she's literally crushed his faux crown into his skull. Now thick, scarlet blood is pouring down his head and face as his eyes roll around in his skull. He's not dead, but he's dying quickly and already sliding to the ground as my fellows step back from him.

 _Shit_.

I put the last of his items inside the sack I have in my hand and turn to tell Sapphire how badly she's fucked up. The empty space that greets me causes me to flip in a full circle. I stop when I see Sapphire and Delvin sitting on the wall I'd already planned on escaping over.

"Sapphire! Delvin!". I hiss at them as footsteps begin to move towards us. I begin trying to climb up to them. I reach the top before they both shove me off. I can only curse as they disappear over the wall and the lone guard who came to investigate finds me on my back and clutching a sack of gold with a dead body not two feet away from me.


	2. Lady Luck is a Fickle Mistress

"Maven is less than pleased to see me" is an understatement. I'm gagged, blindfolded, and hogtied when I'm deposited in front of her throne. I do my best to impress her by remaining silent even when one of her goons "accidentally" kicks my ribs while walking past me. My ribs flare in agony as I do my best to strain my hearing. I hear the crackling of a fire behind me and Maven drumming her fingers in front of me on what I'm assuming is her throne.

"Tell me, Vex, do you know who the man you killed was?". I, obviously, stay silent. A kick hard enough to _crack_ something inside me causes me to let out a low groan out that's muffled by the rag in my mouth.

"That's what I thought.". The drumming stops and is replaced by the _click_ of Maven's shoes circling me. My throat begins to close and I feel sweat dripping off of me. I know Maven sees my panic because she chuckles before telling me the significance of the man Sapphire killed.

"He was a noble visiting from Solitude. In fact, he was one of Elisif's court. A rich, powerful man who came here to see if he wanted to invest some of his fortune into Riften businesses. I'd given him three casks of Black-Briar Reserve and set him free to roam the city with the hopes he'd give the local meadery enough gold to expand and create more jobs.". Her _clicking_ stops right in front of my face and I can practically feel her kneeling down. Her warm breath tickles the back of my neck as she tells me what exactly the murdered man was going to do.

"He raved so much about the Black-Briar reserve that he swore the second he returned from the celebration that he'd give me a note to send to Elisif to redeem over a million gold from his estate.". Her cold, gloved hand comes to rest on my cheek. I shiver and instinctively try to pull away. Her fingers are gripping my jaw with crushing strength within an instant.

"Now he's dead and his only heir, the eldest of his daughters he brought with him, has declared the note void of power. Apparently, she didn't feel like giving the city that killed her father any gold.". My breathing picks up against my will. I know I've truly and completely fucked up here. Although, there's still hope. I just need to convince Maven that Sapphire and Delvin were behind it. My chest tightens as Maven reveals she knew exactly what happened.

"I'm aware you didn't act alone. Trust me, the Guild has already told me the full story. Unfortunately for you, you're going to have to take the full blame. Sapphire has disappeared into the woods and Delvin, sadly, is too important to lose.". Her hand disappears and she _clicks_ back to her throne. Maven's fingers begin drumming again as she continues her little monologue.

"The noble's daughter demands justice. And, that's what we're going to give her.". I feel myself being lifted into the air by some unseen goon of Maven's.

"Take her to the dungeons and toss her in one of the more common cells. We'll execute her tomorrow at dawn.". I'm fighting and screaming as loudly as my gag will allow instantly. My struggles amount to nothing as I'm taken somewhere far, far away from my current position. I only stop screaming and squirming when I fly through the air and _slam_ against a wall. The _click_ of a lock tells me I've been thrown into a jail cell.

The only mercy of the entire situation is my wrists and ankles were loosened by the toss. I'm not sure how many hours of tossing and turning it takes, but I'm exhausted and panting by the time my wrists are finally freed of one another. Thankfully, from there it's just the process of untying my ankles and taking out my gag. Finally, I peel off my blindfold and find myself in one of the barer cells. A stack of hay along with a table are the only furniture I have.

 _I need to get out of here_.

I see the perfect tool for the job when I go over to the table. A wooden plate with some cheese is there to greet me. And, oddly enough, a lockpick is lying by the cheese instead of a regular fork. I brush it off as the work of a lazy guard and go about escaping. Every single cell in the second floor of the jail is empty, so it's not a hard task to unlock my cell and push the door open. The next part, however, is going to be a _lot_ harder. In stories there's always a daring prison escape that involves either murdering every guard in sight, or barely managing to avoid detection. In reality it's far less impressive. I just walk softly and slowly while glancing around every corner and down every hallway. It's late, there's still a celebration going on, and there aren't any prisoners besides me.

Honestly, I would be shocked if there was even a guard left in this building. Not to mention, the guard who threw me in was in such a rush to return to the celebration he didn't even take away my weapons or armor. I'm completely free to, carefully, walk out of the jail and back into the crowds. I'm sure the guards know I'm suppose to be jailed; however, the sheer number of people and how quickly faces are passing them helps me. I keep my head low and don't draw attention to myself in the slightest. My bright motley and jester's hat don't blend in perfectly, though. I still get a guard or two who's head follows me as I walk. Slowly, my footsteps pick up as my calmness evaporates. My breathing was already hard and my pulse quick as I left the prison. Now it's just getting ten times worse.

I'm gasping for air and my heart feels like it's about to give out completely. By the time I reach the gate I'm gagging and running through the crowd as quickly as I can. Obviously, that draws attention. I've been blessed this entire escape that my luck's held out. So, it makes sense my luck would run out as soon as I exited the city. The two guards normally stationed there haven't left because of the festival and they're both looking towards the door because, I'm assuming, my gagging got their attention. My only lucky break is the two react slower than me. I've ran through the gap between the two and am halfway to the stables when one of them has the sense to speak.

"Hey, stop!". I ignore her request and grab the nearest horse. The chestnut mare is a sweetie and allows me to mount her without any fuss. And, it looks like my luck is back with me. When I slap the mare on the ass she takes off quicker than any horse I've ever seen. Though, her speed doesn't deter the guards from climbing onto two city-owned horses and charging after me. My mare easily flies down the twisting road leading out of Riften, but I know I can't ride her forever.

There are guard towers stationed ahead that'll shoot her down, two guards riding after me prevent me from backtracking at all, and the woods around this area is infested with predators that would gladly devour a horse and her rider. Delvin and Sapphire disappeared into the woods with the intention of sliding right back into the city. Obviously, I can't follow their lead because Riften's on the lookout for me.

Slowly, I begin to pull my mare back into a trot instead of a sprint. I need a better plan than running right into danger. I can't enjoy my freedom if I end up dead. Somehow, somewhere there's someone looking out for me. Up ahead, right before the guard towers would have to be passed, is an impenetrable caravan of wagons. Someone near the beginning of the caravan is currently screaming with a guard and a large group of people is gathered around the two. I slide off of my mare and jog the rest of the way to the wagons. Now I just need to find the perfect one. Most aren't the normal cloth wagons, though. They have chained or locked wooden doors on their backs with hard, thick leather covering their tops.

That means I can't just crawl into one or rip through the cloth and hop in. Instead, I have to walk through the entire caravan while silently praying that nobody turns around to see a stranger standing among them. I'm checking my tenth wagon and trying to consider other escape routes when I finally find the wagon I've been looking for. Whoever owns it is, apparently, confident enough or prideful enough to imagine nobody would ever dare steal from them. The wagon's a normal cloth wagon with a dangling piece of cloth serving as the door. I don't waste another moment as I climb into the dark wagon, carefully move the person's belongings around, and lie down on the floor in the very back underneath a pile of some cloth I can't see.

The next few hours of my life are spent listening to bickering and snarling that's _just_ far enough away I can't hear exactly what the argument's about. For an hour or so I fear the guards are searching the wagons due to the sounds of feet walking by and, occasionally, a door to another wagon opening and closing. Someone even grabs something from the wagon I'm in. At least, I'm assuming someone does. I see a sliver of light and hear something scrapping against the floor. Then, the light and noise disappear as quick as they came. Thankfully, all of the commotion and waiting for hours on end is worth it. Eventually, the arguing dies down and the sound of wagons beginning to move fills the air.

I wait another hour or so when we're moving to dare to move any of my aching muscles. I don't exactly have any choice in whether I'm staying in the wagon or not since I still don't have an escape route, but I at least want to know what kind of wagon I'm in. If I'm hiding out with a bunch of merchants, then I'm going to just steal some supplies before disappearing into the night. If I'm with a bunch of mercenaries or adventurers, then I'll be forced to travel with them until we're at a suitable city for me to escape into. I carefully stand and begin peeling back the top of the wagon just enough to let some moonlight in. I stop the second I've undone enough that a sliver of light peaks through.

When I turn to see the cargo I'm carrying I involuntarily let out a loud gasp. A large, diamond-shaped shield with nine stars-one cracked and chipped halfway off-is leaning against a pile of thick, white armor with a star stamped on its chest. Beside those, a winged grey helmet with grey gauntlets and boots. Finally, on the floor beside me is a sword that's practically glowing in the moonlight. There's more odds and ends throughout the wagon, but they all tell the same story. I've just crawled into a wagon belonging to a Knight of the Nine. And, judging from the lack of security precautions, either a new one who's arrogant enough to think nobody will dare to steal from them, or an older member who _knows_ nobody would dare to steal from them.

 _I need to get out of here now_.

The wagon suddenly comes to a halt and I make my move. I leap over the piles of armor and weapons and pull back the cloth barrier to the outside world. That's when the knight tackles me.


	3. Darkroot Garden

My ears are ringing and a thick layer of dirt has covered my face when the Khajiit and I stop rolling around on the ground. The motley I'm wearing _rips_ as the woman heaves herself to her feet while taking me with her. I'm lifted up, flipped around, and drug close enough to see every detail of the woman in the moonlight. Although, the only detail about her I can take in are her piercing eyes that chase any idea of escape from my mind. Slowly, I gather the courage to let my eyes dart downward to where her fist wrapped around the shirt on my chest is connecting us. My spine tingles at the sight of five tremendously long, sharp white claws that have shredded my shirt to little more that tatters that keep me decent. Spit suddenly hits my face as the woman hisses in a harsh, gravely voice like someone who's smoked for the entirety of her life.

" _Who are you_?!". Another Khajiit comes up beside the woman and dares to lift his helm from her face. As he speaks, I realize, with a small amount of relief, they both lack the thick accents from their native land.

"Do we treat every traveler like this, now? What if she's a merchant or mercenary looking for work?". The woman's ears flatten against her skull and her eyes become slits. A deafening _roar_ slips out from between her serrated fangs. In that moment I would swear upon my mother's grave that a monstrous hybrid between Khajiit and saber cat is standing before me. The man behind the woman dares to bring his hand up to place it on his friend's shoulder. Her jaws _click_ shut, but neither her eyes nor ears move. He whispers her name. She snorts like a beast and I'm dropped like a dead mouse on the ground. Still, she begins pacing around me like a literal cat. I'm not an idiot. I know that this woman, obviously, wants to either kill me or return me to Riften. And, from the looks of it, she has the ultimate say in everything around here. At least, I'm assuming that because the male Khajiit is cowering back from her as she resumed her pacing. I'll need to please her to stay with the caravan until it arrives at a city I can escape into. That's why I allow her to pace around me and _smack_ me with her thick, flowing tail every three turns. Finally, after ten _smacks_ with her tail, the knight kneels down in front of me. I meet her burning eyes as sternly as I can. Her ears aren't flat and she doesn't roar, but I can still tell she isn't thrilled about my presence. She repeats the question she hissed at me in the same rough, raspy voice.

"Why are you here?". I'm wearing a jester's outfit and I've been hiding out in her wagon for hours by this point. It'll take some smart thinking to get out of this. I'll need to come up with a lie the Khajiit woman will believe. I scan her and take into consideration what I already know about her in the hopes of finding the weak part in her armor. She's powerful, and she _knows_ it. I spar a glance over her clothes and fur. Neat, clean, and freshly taken care of. She takes great pride in her appearance. Her armor and weapons inside the wagon already tell me she's proud of her belongings. The unprotected wagon also tells me she doesn't think anyone in their right mind would steal from her. My presence inside her wagon was almost enough to get her to kill me for nothing more than my mere presence. Obviously, she's vain and prideful. Trying to lie to her and getting caught would go very, _very_ badly for me. Though, I think I know a lie she'll believe. I just have to hope she's actually the knight who owns the wagon I was in and not some squire who happened to find me.

"I came to see you.". Her eyes narrow and her ears slowly return to her head. I speed up my lying when I see a flash of ivory from between her black lips.

"I've heard great stories of you and I couldn't resist coming and getting a glimpse of you. You're the great and powerful-". I remember the man saying her name and repeat it. Her ears pop up ridiculously quick and her eyes become wide. The woman cocks her head to the side and practically purrs.

"Oh?". Ah, there it is. She's not well-heard of or she isn't allowed to take credit for her accomplishments. A prideful and arrogant knight who doesn't get to flex her muscles in front of her friends and onlookers alike. She must be dying for any attention. Someone hiding in your wagon for hours on end isn't something anyone in all of Skyrim should be flattered by, but this woman's so arrogant that she'll take even the creepiest of things as a compliment. The woman in question rises and takes a step back from me. Now it's the man's turn to speak.

"Well, you've seen her. Now, don't you need to get going back to Riften? I'm sure you have some friends or family that are going to be wondering where you are.". I need to be careful here. The man's nice and is probably genuinely concerned about me, who hes sees as an average citizen, getting back to Riften without getting injured in the slightest. If they send me away or want to escort me home, then I'll either die on the road or die back in Riften. I try to add a spark of excitement to my eyes as I speak.

"I'm afraid my friends and I had a falling out and that's why I came here. I wanted to see the great and powerful knight before she went somewhere far, far away.". The woman's smirking like a snake and holding herself ridiculously high. The man, however, seems a little worried.

"Are you sure you don't want us to take you back? Really, I'm afraid there's no way for you to travel with us. We're knights and having a civilian along would-". The woman elbows him and scoffs. Then, she turns to leave. Honestly, it's not that surprising. Since this no longer is about her and she isn't being praised, it's clear she'll leave. If I'm left alone with the man, then there's a good chance I'll be escorted back to Riften since he actually has a good point about knights not traveling with citizens. Knights always want to help the poor and unfortunate, but they aren't bands of traveling guards who're meant to get people form one place to another. An idea crosses my mind. I need to keep praising the female Khajiit until she wants to have me around. I don't know an awful lot about the Knights of the Nine (or are they Eight now?) besides the name of one of their biggest heroes who apparently brought their group back from the brink of extinction.

"Please, don't make me go! I know it's rather unorthodox to have me around, but I'd adore getting to see the best knight in the land since the Divine Crusader herself in action.". The Khajiit stops leaving and turns back around. I didn't think it was possible for her smile to get any bigger and now she's proven me wrong. The woman stalks back up to her friend and nudges him.

"Come on, let her stay. I like her.". He sighs and shakes his head. Though, my chest and throat relax. I can tell the look on his face. It's the look of a man about to give in just to avoid causing a fuss.

"Alright.". The woman nods and turns to leave once again. His voice stops her.

"Just try to keep in mind why you were put in charge of this mission. It wasn't to get people to fawn over you.". She takes another step to leave. Once again, he stops her. This time it's with a cough. The female knight flips back around with her ears flat and a snarl on her face. Her friend motions to me and he further explains when she just blankly stares at him.

"She's a stranger and a civilian wandering around. You either need to keep an eye on her, or get someone else to do it. Remember? You're the one leading us?". The woman rolls her dark eyes and turns towards me.

"What's your name?". I panic and give her the first name off the top of my head.

"Sapphire.". The Khajiit turns towards the man.

"See? She knows my name and I know hers. We're not strangers.". The man turns to me and offers me a kind smile. I smile back to get on his good side as he introduces himself.

"I'm Nair and I believe you've already had the pleasure of meeting my sister.". He turns to point to her to find her doing her best to slink away while he was looking at me. He snaps her name in his musical voice and she flips back around with the same annoyed look on her face. She clearly thinks she's better than him. I make a mental note of that as he points once again to me.

"You still need to find someone to follow Sapphire around.". Nair turns back to me and offers the kindest smile he can muster.

"No offense. We just need to make sure you aren't stealing anything or running off.".

 _I'll run off as soon as we reach the next city. Nobody you have following me will stop that_.

The knight rejoins the conversation by stepping forward and speaking to her brother in an even rougher tone.

"Fine, I'll get Sif the watch her.".

 _I don't care who Sif is. I'll sneak away from them just the same._

My gut clenches when Nair's face falls into a sullen expression carved from ice. He shakes his head.

"No. Sif can't be trusted and you-". His sister ignores him as she turns, brings her fingers to her lips, and whistles loud enough that horses on the other side of the caravan whinny. I follow the knight's line of sight to in between two wagons stationed far behind us. The ground suddenly starts to shake and people begin screaming. What comes from between the wagons isn't what I expected. A wolf as large as a horse comes thundering towards his mistress. The knight howls in laughter and the wolf howls in joy as they collide. I try to take a step back and feel my heel hit Nair's foot. The man tries his best to comfort me.

"I'll be driving the wagon right behind my sister. If you leave the wagon's flap pulled up, then I should be able to see inside. Sif doesn't listen to me too well, but if he starts hurting you I should be able to call him off.". Shockingly, that's not comforting at all. The woman puffs herself up as the wolf wraps himself around her. Her pet goes about licking the side of her face as she defends him.

"Sif is a sweetie!". She reaches up and strokes her animal's face.

"Aren't you?". She speaks in a cooing voice as her hound keeps licking her face. I try my best to think of another way out of this.

 _Nothing. I have nothing_.

The woods are too dangerous to flee in even _without_ the possibility a gigantic would would be sent to find me, Riften is completely off limits no matter what I do, and there's nobody else willing to take me to another city without bunking with Sif. I'll just have to sit in the wagon with the wolf and stab him if he decides I'm food. He looks tame enough while he's licking his mistress and nuzzling her, but I'm not the woman who's raised him. The woman who _did_ raise him pushes his nose away and tells me what I'm going to do.

"Hop in. You've wasted enough of our traveling time already. Get in, let Sif get comfortable, and if I start driving and you aren't inside, then tough shit.". She begins walking around her wagon as Nair climbs into the seat of the wagon twenty feet behind her. Everyone else is far enough away they didn't hear the conversation, but I can visibly see them all tense. I turn to the wagon to find Sif already inside and lying down with his head dangling out the back. I have no choice besides climbing in beside him.


	4. Flogging a Dead Horse

My entire world has shrunken to this pathetic excuse of a wagon. I'm wedged tight between Sif and the wall with _something_ crammed underneath me. Sif has been somewhat of a mixed blessing. His thick pelt was a welcomed relief from the cold a few hours ago, but now I'm sweating through my ruined clothes. Now all I can do is contemplate how badly I have to piss while listening to the deep panting of the wolf beside me. If I was brave I'd try to find a way to coerce the gigantic beast into becoming my friend. Having the largest wolf in existence on my side would help me escape in no time. Shockingly, I'm not brave enough to do more that lie beside him. Touching him would probably leave me with one less hand.

My hours of torture come to an end when the wagon comes to a slow, steady halt. Sif gives me a hard _crack_ across the head with his hind paw on his way out, though I'm otherwise fine. A plan for escape is already forming, but it's shattered the second I climb out of the wagon. Already, the Khajiit siblings are back to join me. They're both screaming at each other in thick voices I can't understand while Sif circles the pair with a low growl. A few other knights and squires and such are gathered around the squabbling pair. I notice all of them are shifting uncomfortably and keeping a wide distance from where Sif is walking.

I glance around for an escape route, but my hopes are crushed when I realize we're still in the middle of the woods. All I can do is stand there like an idiot with everyone else as the two Khajiit snarl, scream, and argue with one another in their own language. I wish I knew what they were saying, but I'm not about to ask anyone about it. Though, I piece together who wins. Nair hisses like a beast and wildly shakes his head. His sister turns and storms back towards me. Her ears are flattened and her eyes are little more than slits. Behind her, Sif prowls as low to the ground as his tremendously long legs allow him.

I do my best to blend in and not draw either of their attention. It doesn't work. Sif shoves past me with all his might and pushes me directly into his mistress. The Khajiit knight doesn't move an inch as I ram into what feels like a solidly constructed wall. A clawed hand wraps around my wrist and all I can do is hiss in pain as I'm forced to follow the woman. My shoulder screams in rage as the woman shoves me against the side of the wagon before poking me.

"Get up there!". Her rough voice encourages me to quickly scale the side of the wagon and take a seat. The Khajiit follows right behind me and picks up the horses' reins without a word. I'd like to know why she won't let me back with Sif, but the look on her face coupled with the fact I'm afraid of Sif compel me to stay silent. That's how the rest of my night is spent. Sitting awkwardly beside the fuming woman as she _snaps_ the horses' reins every once in a while to guide them through the twisting trails. The sun rises and sets and the woman doesn't even stop for a second. My throat and lips are cracked with thirst, my stomach is aching in hunger, and I can't even keep my eyes open. I've spent an entire day just sitting here and silently imagining every horrible thing that could happen if I speak up and ask for a break.

So far, my worst scenario is asking for some food and being fed to Sif. I don't think that'll ever happen, but I never thought a wolf could get as big as Sif in the first place. Sadly, the horses don't have my restraint. The animals have taken far too much without a break, oat, or sip of water. Both come to a halt at once and begin lowering their heads for a break. The reaction from my riding companion is instant. She roars every curse she can think of, along with some I don't think are real, while practically ripping a crop from beneath her seat. The horses scream as the woman begins beating their asses with all the strength her arm can muster. Even when the horses are walking again she keeps beating them until they're in a run. The Khajiit shoves the crop between her knees so she can take up the reins and begin _snapping_ them to remind her horses what'll happen if they stop.

Bare spots on the horses' asses and scars tell me how often the holy knight's lost her temper at beaten the horses. I doubt the gods and goddesses would appreciate the knight's anger and abuse, but I don't dare speak up. The most daring thing I do is snatch a few seconds of sleep by closing my eyes, then jerking away whenever my head begins to lean. If the Khajiit notices it, then she doesn't say anything. Instead, she huddles down and begins grinding her jaw. Her eyes don't even move from the horses or trail we're traveling. Somehow, I'm starting to think staying around this woman is a bad idea.

Her rage is concentrated on the horses right now; however, there's nothing stopping her from turning that rage on me should I displease her. Besides, my escape plan isn't going to work unless I know what's going on. A large part of me tells me that I should stay silent. A smaller, stronger part dares me to ask the Khajiit to both satisfy my curiosity and find out what my current plan of escape is. My voice cracks and my lips peel as I ask the woman my question.

"Do you mind me asking why we're pushing this hard?". A _snap_ of the reins answers me and causes me to cringe. Then, a rough and short answer.

"You sound like fucking Nair. We're pushing because we need to get to where we're going. Why else would we be? Stupid fucking question.". Stroking her ego might not be the solution to all my problems, but it's all I got.

"My apologies. I just thought you had a clever plan and was curious if you'd care to share it with me. I can understand, though. Sometimes even great heroes have to keep secrets.". She's in a shitty mood, so that's why I'm surprised my flattery works so well on her. The woman still pouts and looks angry as she speaks.

"We're heading towards Ivarstead. My brother wanted to camp for the night, but we were only a day and a half away. I knew we could make it. Just gotta push.". That makes me far more afraid than it should. If this woman's the kind of person who constantly pushes her followers to their limits, then I might not get the chance to escape her grasp. Still, I just fall silent and keep looking at the endless forest surrounding us. Even a fool, which I'm dressed like, can see you shouldn't push your caravan this hard. She'll end up having to rest everyone in each city along the way while very likely losing members either to death or abandonment.

There has to be another reason she's pushing this. I don't give a shit about this woman or why she's doing what she's doing, but I need to know how her mind words in order to escape her and make sure she doesn't follow me. Finding out why she's going insane about this is as good of a start as any. I just need to fawn on her a little more. From the looks of everything, I'm going to bet this is her first assignment she's in charge of. At least, I hope it is. If it isn't, then what I'm about to say could either blow my cover or get the woman to resent me.

"I'm surprised this is the first mission the Knights of the Nine-". She roars and begins beating the horses again when they try to stop. It's only when they're running again she corrects me.

"Eight.". I nod even though she isn't looking at me.

"Knights of the Eight put you in charge of. I've heard stories about you. I'm surprised they weren't giving you missions earlier.". Her frown deepens and she shifts uncomfortably. The mission is clearly her first, but there's more to it. I watch how she rubs her wrists and seems to become a recluse in her own mind. If I had to guess I'd say this mission isn't as nearly as important as she would like. I'm not going to say anything about that, though. I'm not going to take two dangerous bets back to back. Especially because there's another good possibility now that I think of it. She's in charge, but her brother's with her and holds some amount of authority.

From their clashes I'm going to guess either Nair has always been in charge, or the female Khajiit has made mistakes in the past. Either way, she isn't trusted enough to lead this mission on her own. That means that this mission is extremely important, or the Khajiit is so incompetent that she can't be trusted with the simplest of tasks. I can't tell which, so I push the conversation in another direction.

"Are you behind your plan? Sorry if I'm intruding. I just know a path that'd take you through the woods quicker.". That's partially true. It would take her through the woods quicker, but her wagons would have to go one at a time. Mostly, I made the offer to see if time is why the woman's pushing. I get lucky and am proven right. The Khajiit turns to me with flattened ears and wide, almost desperate eyes.

"Really?". I nod and the reins are shoved into my hands. Then, the woman does what she does best and begins smacking the horses until their asses are bleeding. I do my best to lead the panicking, stampeding horses while the Khajiit keeps pushing them harder and harder. I can't see behind us, but the noise of charging horses behind us tells me the caravan of wagons is going to follow us without question. A weaker woman would be nervous at having an entire caravan of knights following her to wherever she leads them. I don't feel anything besides anger at the fact my escape is constantly being compromised. If the Khajiit is behind on time, then she'll always be pushing forward with little rest. Thankfully, that means she's less likely to send anyone to find me after I've escaped. Oblivion, she might not actually care considering all the problems she has going on.

I'm still mulling over my ideas when Ivarstead comes into view. I pass the reins back to the Khajiit and relax in my seat. I'm still relaxing when something obvious occurs to me. Ivarstead is part of the Rift. The Rift has a bounty on me. I'm gonna get fucking arrested because I walked myself into Ivarstead on a silver platter for the guards to chew up. I begin scrabbling off the wagon. The Khajiit gives me an odd look and I come up with the only excuse I can think of.

"I wanna go check on Sif!". In that moment, the gigantic wolf became my savior. Hopefully, he won't decide to eat me.


	5. Genesis 3:1

" _Fuck you_!". I hiss the insult at Sif for what feels like the thousandth time. The tremendous wolf has decided I _must_ have food for him and, since I'm not giving it to him openly, I'm hiding it somewhere on my body. So far, his sloppy nose has explored every crack and crevice in me that I've left unguarded for more than a second. Though, I still prefer this wolf's antics over whatever's going on outside. The Khajiit knight began screaming a short while ago when the Ivarstead guard demanded they search her wagon for a "dangerous criminal" they fear could be hiding out with caravans.

 _It looks like Sapphire and Delvin know me too well_.

Those two are the only ones I know who'd tell Maven how I'd sneak out of the Rift. Not a bad guess either considering they had no way of knowing about this crazy Khajiit. Her screaming gets loud enough that Sif stops what he's doing and leaps out of the wagon to go help his mistress. As the flap swings shut, I realize why the Khajiit didn't have a door on her wagon. Sif would've just torn it down the first time he heard her screaming. I can't contain a soft chuckle as the scream of the guard reaches my ears. Oddly, having a gigantic wolf on your side can win you a lot of arguments fairly quickly. The caravan begins moving again, but Sif doesn't return.

 _Probably sitting up front with his mistress to ward off the rest of the guards_.

I take some time to relax and actually sit down comfortably on the floor. I'll escape tonight after we've passed Ivarstead. I know a pass through the mountains to Helgen and up to Riverwood. From there I'll just have to make my way to Whiterun and... I don't know. Start my entire life over? Begin from the ashes of my old one? I'm a damned good thief, but I won't be able to get enough money to start over in one day. I lean back and feel the Khajiit's suit of armor pressing against my back.

 _No, that's fucking insane_.

I can't steal a knight's armor. The Khajiit would hunt me down and slit my throat for it. Still, she can't kill me if she can't find me. I scoot around to look at the breastplate. One gigantic ruby in the shape of a diamond with thick, white steel. And, it's from the Knights of the Eight. I could easily lie to some smith and claim either a close relative or myself is a knight and is looking to quit the order. There could be complications, but I'm sure someone would be willing to buy the armor even if they knew it was stolen. I run my fingers along the red stone and come to a decision. I'll steal the woman's armor and horses before riding off into the night.

Not _all_ of the caravan's horses, but hers specifically. I don't have any strong hatred for her in particular, but crippling the head of the caravan even briefly will give me time to escape. Besides, taking both of her horses means I can sell one for some quick gold. Suddenly, the wagons jolts to a stop and I flip around to avoid looking suspicious. The knight sticks her head into the caravan and give me a command in a tone that tells me I don't have a choice.

"Get out.". She pulls her head back, but I can see her waiting outside for me. My chest and throat both tighten as I climb out of the wagon. My biggest fear is she's somehow found out I'm a thief using her to escape my problems. Thankfully, when I stick my head outside I see the caravan's just come to a halt and everyone's moving around to set up camp. I'm about to do the same when I realize where exactly we're camped. In the middle of Ivarstead. The Khajiit has literally stopped the wagons in the middle of the road in the center of the town.

 _Well, this isn't going to work_.

I look at the woman who's standing with her arms crosses and, silently, motion for her to climb into the wagon with me. She flattens one ear and cocks her head to the side.

" _Come on_!". My hiss of desperation is what finally gets her to crawl in with me. The woman sits down with her legs and arms both crossed on the opposite side of the wagon. I mirror her position save for the fact my arms are by my side and my hands are resting on my lap. Her ear remains flattened as she asks me a question like a mother speaking to a child who won't behave.

"What's wrong?". Well, shit. Now I have to think of something. The woman's vain, easily angered, and clearly thinks she's right about everything. I'll just need to find a way to make her think that she thought of my idea and not me.

"We can't stay here.". Her other ear raises as the woman rolls her head to give me the most exasperated look I've ever seen.

"We can't? Really? Because I just argued with a guard for almost half an hour to make sure we could.". Well, double shit. If it's her idea to stay here, then I'll need to convince her it was never her idea. Thankfully, Nair comes to mind.

"I know Nair wants us to stay here, but it's not safe.". The exasperated look evaporates. Instead, both of her ears pop up and she straightens her neck.

"How'd you know Nair wanted this?". Her eyes are slits and her fur is beginning to rise up. I've already planned this out, so I have an answer readily at hand.

"It's obvious from the way you were acting and how Nair was acting. Everyone will know he planned this.". Her head snaps to the side as if she can see through the leather curtain and to her brother. Her ears flatten and her fur keeps puffing up. Only now it's in regards to her brother and not me. Now the knight just needs a little push.

"I'm sorry I interrupted you, but I needed to tell you we couldn't stay here. If we do, then we'll be late on time. Every local knows that the snows from the west are coming. If we don't leave tonight, then the mountain pass to Helgen-". Her head snaps back to me. Her eyes are wide enough I can see the whites and her ears are sticking straight up.

"Mountain pass to Helgen?". My body hums and shudders in satisfaction. She didn't know about the mountain pass to Helgen. That means she won't know that the snow thing I said is a complete lie.

"You don't know about the mountain pass to Helgen? From Helgen you can go directly north to Riverwood and Whiterun. Whiterun is where you're heading, right?". I already know that's where they're heading. Maven made a big speech about the knights and said they were traveling to every single Imperial held province. Riften, since its location is near the bottom of Skyrim, is going to obviously be their first or last stop. If Riften had been their last, then they wouldn't be heading deeper into Skyrim. I'm proven right by the woman desperately nodding. Her ears are halfway down and she's looking at the floor with her face twisted.

"Mountain pass? I was never told of a mountain pass.". She looks at me with her ears completely flattened and her eyes once again wide. Her voice cracks as she speaks to me.

"Nair said we had to go around the mountains.". I barely manage to contain a smile. My plan worked out better than expected. Nair probably didn't know about the pass or got faulty maps and was convinced going around the mountains to Whiterun was the quickest. Nair was also the one who's been arguing with his sister. From his sister's perspective, Nair is trying to set her up. He's arguing with her, making her stop in Ivarstead, and not telling her about passes that would save her literally an entire two weeks.

However, I sense a better option for myself approaching. She's turned against Nair. Obviously, their sibling bond is shit, but she still clearly trusted Nair. Now she needs someone else to place her trust in. From what I've seen, the woman is so abrasive and self-centered that her only friends are her brother and pet wolf. A stranger who admires her could easily take over Nair's position. All I need to do is push her a little further from Nair and offer myself in his place.

"It looks like Nair was trying to play you for a fool.". Her ears have never been flatter as she looks at the floor in a clear mix of sorrow and rage.

"Yeah, it looks like he was.". I shake my head a little to jingle the bells dangling from it. The Khajiit looks up with her face still twisted.

"Thankfully, I _am_ a fool. If you'll allow me, then I'd be glad to show you the way to the mountain pass once we're out of Ivarstead on one condition.". Her ears slowly lift up and her face falls into her normal emotionless mask. She nods at me.

"Alright. I'm willing to pay any price you can name.".

 _Oh my sweet, trusting fool. The price I'll claim by the time I abandon you will make you wish you'd never taken up the life of a holy fighter_. _Just try to bear in mind when I've left you in financial ruin with nothing but the clothes on your and smeared your name with as much mud as I can get, that I didn't do it out of hatred or anger. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. It happens to everyone sooner or later_.

"We have the leave Ivarstead tonight. Everyone in the caravan believes you to bow to your brother's will. Show them your strength without me or Sif by your side. That way, nobody will be able to say you were swayed by the words of a stranger over your brother or that you needed a wolf to stand by your side to have the mental fortitude to question him. Only when they see you're the real leader will I help you.". The knight is still vain enough she believes I'm trying to help her. I'm whispering pure lies into her ear and she's devouring them because she thinks she's so important that her own flesh would question her while a stranger would help her.

Hopefully, in the end when she's nothing she'll see that it was her own hubris that has forced her into ruin. Although, the fact she's nodding and smiling at me proves she'll probably blame me for her misfortune or, more likely, the gods themselves. Either way, my pawn takes the bait and hops out of the wagon to go command her caravan to keep marching. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to snatch an hour or two of sleep before the Khajiit comes to wake me to show her the way to the mountain pass.

Alas, I don't have any luck today. The Khajiit begins screaming and, half an hour later, the wagons are moving. That wouldn't be so bad if Sif wasn't climbing his way into the wagon to reclaim his spot beside me. As he settles down and begins to crush me I can only sigh. One day I swear I'll get my revenge on this hound by turning him into a pair of slippers and a sandwich. That day's not today.


	6. Count No Man Happy Until His Death

I was able to steal a few hours of sleep before the Khajiit knight roused me and pulled from her wagon. I don't appreciate being manhandled-especially with my shirt still ripped-but I don't say anything as I'm led around the wagon and forced up onto the driver's seat. The Khajiit's horses have their noses nearly touching the ground with thick, white foam covering their quivering flanks. I cringe in pity for them as their mistress cracks them both across their already wounded asses. Though, I don't dare speak out against her. Questioning her would only make her begin to question me. Besides, the horses are moving.

They're moving extremely slowly, but they're still moving. Torches tied to the horses' harnesses and to the side of the wagon give me a good enough idea of where we're located. The caravan has about another half of an hour before we reach where we'll need to turn off into the woods to find the mountain pass to Helgen, so I have some time to talk to the Khajiit and work my way deeper into her circle of trust.

"How did Nair react to you commanding everyone to continue?". I glance over and see her scowling face cast in deep shadows as an even deeper frown forms on her face. Her voice is rough, but quieter than I've ever heard it as she speaks.

"He was less than happy, but he knows his place. He _won't_ question me again.". Her hands clench into fists as she speaks and, quickly, I glance down and steal a peek at him. The claws of her left hand are scarlet and I'm going to take a guess and assume she can't retract them anymore. I've never been around many Khajiit, but I recall how the innkeeper at The Bee and Barb once got her claws stuck in a customer who didn't want to pay. I also remember cackling as her husband had to fix it for her. I've been on a winning streak all night, so one more bet can't hurt.

"I can fix your claws if you'd like.". For about five minutes I just continue driving the horses without a response from the Khajiit. Then, her bloody hand appears in front of my face without warning. My hands jerk and the horses nearly stop. I _snap_ their reins once to get them moving again before shoving the reins underneath my thighs to keep the pressure on them and encourage them to keep going.

The woman hisses as I do my best to mimic what I once saw the barkeeper do. I place my fingers underneath her palms and dig my thumbs into the middle of the back of her hand. My stomach heaves as I feel the bones in her hand. About halfway down the length of her hand is when the bones stop and I feel the bumps that must be the end of her claws. I hold my breath as I dig my thumbs into two of the bumps and do my best to pull them back down the length of her hand.

Sickeningly, I feel her bones beginning to move and her muscles parting. The tension throughout her muscles attests to what caused her hand to become stuck in its current position. The woman lets out a deep, low moan as I move her pointer and little finger back into their respective places. I nearly gag as I put her middle and ring finger back, but hold it in to keep up the illusion of truly wanting to help her. Finally, I bring my thumbs down to her wrist, go up a little, and fish around until I feel the bump where her thumb is. This bone's more stubborn and I hear a _screech_ of bone scrapping against bone as I forcibly pull it back into place. All the while the Khajiit knight moans and hisses quietly under her breath.

Finally, her thumb _pops_ back into place and her hand is soaked in blood, but back to normal. Instantly, she jerks her hand back and I try to take the reins without glaring at her. The woman's extremely self-centered, but a "thank you" every once in a while wouldn't kill her. Shockingly, the woman seems to be able to read my mind. Her voice is softer than ever and the wind nearly drowns in out, though that doesn't stop me from hearing it.

"Thank you.". I spare her a glance and see the woman flicking her wrist and rubbing her hand.

 _Poor sap. Probably didn't feel too good to have her claws stuck out like that. I know it took the barkeeper almost a month before she was using her hand again_.

Thankfully, her wrists looks fine because she keeps playing with it. Briefly, my attention is forced to turn back to the road as we finally reach where we need to turn. The Khajiit hisses for some reason as I sharply turn us into a dirt path that almost nobody would be able to spot without knowing it was there. A tightness in my chest disappears as we leave the road where the guards travel and finally enter the woods where I'm less likely to be found. Then, my attention returns to the Khajiit as she digs around underneath her seat. Once again, the knight shows how arrogant and self-centered she is. A package of loose leaf tobacco along with some sort of leaf is in the woman's hands when she sits back up.

The Codes of the Nine-or I suppose Eight now-doesn't prohibit smoking directly, but almost every priest has taken certain scriptures and codes to apply to smoking indirectly. Yet the knight who's been entrusted with leading this mission is currently pouring some tobacco onto the leaf and rolling it as tightly as she can. I barely manage to look away in time as the woman casts a glance my way while putting up her supplies. A flick of her uninjured wrist is all it takes to summon a flame to her thumb.

 _Well, that's useful_.

It's always good to know that the woman I plan on robbing has at least _some_ training in magic. Enough to cast a weak flame, at least. The woman presses the tobacco-filled leaf to her lips and presses the flame to the end. My personal space is invaded by smoke as she sucks in as deeply as possible before snorting the smoke out her nose like a dragon. The knight spreads her legs as far apart as possible and lounges back in her seat. One clawed hand invades my space as she stretches her arms out along the length of the bench we're sitting on.

Her tail _thumps_ rhythmically against the seat as she holds her burning leaf between her lips and continues puffing away like a dragon. All I can do is curl my nose at the stench and focus on the slowly stumbling horses that're doing their best to drag us up the incline. I can't ignore the smoke forever, though. My throat is beginning to burn and the smell is working its way into my clothes. For a while, I was fine basking in the irony of her decision, but now I need to get her to take a breath of clean air instead of smoke. Doing that will be easiest if I get her to talking.

"We're almost to the pass.". She grunts and turns her head to the side of the wagon. Her words are muffled by the stick in her mouth.

"Figure that's why we're starting to go upwards.". Clearly, that's not going to cut it. It was just an introduction to get her to start talking about something she won't be able to resist.

"Are you certain Nair knew about this pass?". Someone else wouldn't dare to bring Nair up for fear of pushing the Khajiit to trust him again. I already know enough about her to know that she won't trust Nair with anything ever again. Sure enough, I'm right. The woman tosses her leaf away and leans forward until she's slouched with her elbows against her knees and her head dangling between them.

"Nair had to have. He's been trying to get me to fuck up since the second we left Kvatch.". She snorts and looks up to where her horses are barely chugging along. She pushes herself up and grabs her whip from beneath her seat. The woman begins beating her animals senseless without any real reason as she vents her rage. I bite my lip as she practically snarls her rage to me.

"But I won't let him. Not this time.". I feel an odd amount of joy fill my chest as I gather another piece of the puzzle that is this Khajiit woman. Her brother's either tried or succeeded in sabotaging her on a previous mission. Everything just keeps getting easier and easier. At least, they were until the woman finally stops beating her horses and looking at me.

"Sapphire?". For a moment I forget that I told her my name was Sapphire and don't respond. Thankfully, I remember quickly enough that it doesn't seem weird when I finally respond.

"Yes?". The woman's ears flatten and she begins eyeing me.

"Why are you here?".

 _Well, shit_.

I knew she'd wise up sooner or later, but I'd been hoping for the later once I'd had the time to come up with a convincing lie. Sadly, the only thing I've got in my arsenal is to stick to my guns and hope a way out comes to me.

"I already told you that. I came to spend time around my hero and, now that I see you need my help, I plan on staying to help your mission go smoothly.". I'm not exactly sure if her mission is purely to travel from city to city to gain recruits. In fact, I actually doubt it's that. The Knights of the Eight usually disguise their true motives from the public. Still, saying I'll help her go from city to city will help the woman in some way, so that's all I'll need to say in order for her to believe I'm helping her. The knight seems to swallow my lie, but takes the conversation in a different direction.

"What do you plan on doing once our mission is over?". The "our" part is nice since it shows she's beginning to include me in her plans. However, I need to do my best to make her believe I intend on staying in order to gain even more of her trust. The more she trusts me the closer I can get to her. The closer I can get to her the shorter the length of my knife will need to be.

"I don't really know. I was a mercenary before I became a jester because of the pay, but I don't want to be either when this is done. Maybe I'll stick around and help you out.". A tremendously beneficial, if not equally dangerous, opportunity presents itself to me. The Khahiit keeps eyeing me as she asks me a question that could be her downfall.

"You know, I've had a few squires in my time. Sadly, all of them were either killed by their incompetence or my own sword. Almost everyone from every background has been in my service: I've taken on noble sons to bandits and everything in between; I've taken on Orcs and Khajiit and Nords and Altmer; and I've taken on dueling masters and boys who could barely lift an ax. A mercenary turned jester is new, but not the oddest thing I've trained. How'd you like to be taken under the wing of one of the best knights ever born?". I barely manage to keep from smiling as I answer. Instead, I focus on leading us up the trail as I seal the Khajiit's doom.

"I'd be honored.".


	7. Luke 6:36, Hosea 6:6

The horses finally fall only a league away from the ruin of Helgen. One collapses straight downwards and the other one is yanked down screaming by their shared harness. I've barely gotten the reins out of my hands before the Khajiit is beating her fallen horse with all her might. The beast brays once and feebly kicks trying to rise. All that gets him is a sharp bite from the other horse who was kicked. Finally, the horse allows his head to collapse to the ground and dies a noisy and undignified death with his friend still trapped atop him. The Khajiit snarls, but finally stops whipping her horse's bloody flank.

"Damned weakling.". I refrain from reminding her about how she pushed these animals beyond their limits while still demanding perfection. All I do is remain silent and prepare to praise her for her decision as she unhooks the dead horse and uses her tremendous strength to drag the bleeding corpse to the side.

"Good work. A weak link can bring the entire caravan down.". She only nods at my words, but that's enough for me. A little flattery now and then will still get her to like me. The knight whistles and within a second Sif is with us. The wolf waste no time and begins devouring the deceased horse. His mistress stands beside him as he feasts and, rarely, strokes his side. She doesn't even seem to mind the blood or guts that occasionally hit her. I continue watching until Nair-now with a stylish wound covering his closed left eye-arrives. Then, I slide down from my seat and begin adjusting the harness of the exhausted, wobbling horse. The beast is covered in foam and he flashes me the whites of his eyes. I do my best to hush him as I adjust his harness to allow him to take on the full weight of the wagon.

"I'd get as much rest as can, buddy. You'll be working twice as hard in a few minutes.". I finish tying him before reigniting the torches that went out in the horses' struggle. I finish and get up before hopping back onto my seat. Already, Sif is gnawing on the horse's cleaned skull while his mistress and her brother scream and howl at one another. Oddly, it's almost funny to watch them. Both of their tails are flickering like wild, their fur is puffed up, and their ears are flattened. It looks exactly like two cats ready to rip one another to shreds. Actually, that part comes sooner than I'd expected. Nair howls something before turning to leave. That's when his sister _rips_ him across the back of the head. Nair screams and charges away into the darkness. I try my best to reassure this woman she did the right thing when she returns to me.

"Good. You've taught Nair his place, gotten rid of a weak horse never meant to leave its mother's womb, and fed Sif. Your power is strengthened and solidified by your own hand.". The woman does something disturbing and worrying. She shows signs of being more than an arrogant fool. She seems to hang her head in shame as she crosses her arms in an almost pouting manner. Her voice is quiet and thick when she speaks.

"Yeah, I guess I did. I just didn't do it in the way I wanted to.". A sigh as she shakes her head.

 _Fuck, it always has to get harder_.

I always realized the Khajiit knight was a thinking, breathing person with hopes and dreams and thoughts in her head. I'd just thought everything in her head revolved around her. Her showing complex thoughts worries me. If she's smart enough to not always dream about herself, then she might be smart enough to see through my guise. I push those thoughts aside as the woman whispers to herself.

" _This was suppose to be easy_.". I _snap_ the reins of the horse and the brave beast screams as he begins pulling the load all by himself. My chest releases tightness I didn't know it had as we officially exit the mountain pass and enter Whiterun hold.

 _I'm free. Now I just need to wait until I can steal everything from this fool and leave her alone in the dust_.

I still try to put her at ease, though. A confident Khajiit is easier to trick.

"We're almost to Helgen. I'd suggest pulling over and sitting up camp for a day or two before we reach it. There are bandits littering the path to Whiterun, and an exhausted caravan is the perfect prey.". Once again, this woman goes against everything I expected of her. For once, she shows mercy. She silently takes the reins from my hands before pulling her exhausted horse over to the side of the road where there's a small clearing surrounded by thick woods. I bite my lip as I watch her approach the horse and begin putting the torches on his harness out. This woman's too unpredictable for my liking: she hated me at first, but liked me the second I helped her; she beat her horses the entire way here, but showed mercy after one died; and she's arrogant enough to think a random woman would follow her because she's so great, but showed remorse at having to harm her brother for the good of the trip.

Still, her complexity won't save her from me. I'm going to steal everything from underneath her for the sin of her hubris. And, because I need the money and why the fuck not? One woman doesn't need a horde of wealth. Besides, knights of the gods are suppose to have only a few possessions to get them closer to the gods. It's not even like I'm really stealing. I'm just taking back from someone who's gotten extremely rich when she herself should be the poorest of the poor.

I mean, I'm _assuming_ she's rich. The armor and weapons she has can't come cheap, so it's a safe bet. The Khajiit once again goes against what I believe to be true. She strokes her remaining horse's nose and gently leads him over to a tree to tie him. The woman's wiping down his quivering flanks as the other wagons come to a thundering stop behind us. Quickly, I hop off the wagon before anyone can approach me. I start heading for the woman, but Sif charges past me and reaches her first. I frown a bit at the command she gives Sif.

"Watch the horse, boy. Make sure nothing from the woods gets to him.". Sif _ruffs_ and begins circling the horse as quickly as his legs will carry him. All I can do is awkwardly wait for the woman to make her way over to me. Her shoulders are sagging and her tail is trailing in the dust behind her. Even her ears and face seem to droop a little as she looks at me.

"What're you going to do?". I have no idea what she means. So, it takes me almost half of a minute to respond.

"What?". She sighs a little, but the fire my question would have brought earlier is gone. The woman's obviously exhausted and it's beginning to show.

"Where are you going to sleep? We have communal tents for the priest, but they're pretty crowded. Did you bring a sleeping bag with you?". I'm about to answer when I notice something dangling from her neck. A large ivory fang dangling from a chain of silver. The tooth has small inscriptions of gold running all throughout the bone like rivers of wealth. The promise of the wealth dangling from her throat is too much.

"May I sleep with you?". The woman's face scrunches up and her ears flatten. One side of her mouth comes upwards while the other stays down.

"With me?". Well, shit. Now I have to think of how to justify wanting to sleep in the same room as her without making it weird. The "adoring fan" routine won't work here because it'll make me look like I'm waiting for her to fall asleep to peel her face off to wear for myself.

"I'm your squire, aren't I? Squires are suppose to guard their knights while they sleep. I've gotten enough sleep, so I can guard you better.". Her face unfurls and she actually looks pleased. Oblivion, she's actually smiling as she nods at me.

"You're right. Technically.". She pushes past me and begins heading to the back of the wagon. I follow right after her.

"You aren't my squire yet, but there's no time to practice like the present.". I watch the woman climb into the wagon, then follow her. The knight is shoving her armor, arms, and junk into one corner of the wagon. Shockingly, she doesn't have an actual bed or sleeping mat. Instead, she flattens out a blanket and lies down on her back on it. The woman lays stiff as a board and closes her eyes. Still, she gives me some advice before trying to go off to sleep.

"Just try not to make sure I'm dead in the morning and I'll call it a success.". I know I'm taking a risk, but I decide to interrupt her attempt at sleeping to ask about her necklace. If I'm going to sell it, then I want whatever juicy story came along with it.

"May I ask you a question before you sleep, my knight?". She flicks an eye open to look at me, but calling her "my knight" seems to have won her over. She closes her eye and nods.

"How did you get the lovely necklace?". A small smile flickers across her lips. I lean forward to hear her better as she tells me how she came to get it.

"I'm actually rather proud of it.".

 _Well, I'd imagine you're proud of everything you do_.

"I was a squire serving under my father when he was sent on a dangerous quest.". Her smile disappears.

"He was killed and I was kidnapped. My mother ended up coming to free me. She slew all but one of my kidnappers who fled when the assault started, but died from her wounds after freeing me.". She rolls onto her belly and with her face away from me before continuing.

"Nair and I were orphaned and given to the local church. We handled it different ways. He forgave the murdering bastards and became a priest. I hunted down the murderer who still lived. When I found him I cut off all his limbs, castrated him, and took his gold encrusted tooth as a trophy. Then, when he started giving me backtalk, I blinded him, ruptured his eardrums, cut off his nose, and cut out his tongue. I tried taking away his sense of feeling by stabbing him in the spine, but I only manage to paralyze him from the chest downwards. Then, when I was done with him I returned to the church and became a holy knight.". I just stare at her with what I imagine are wide eyes. She doesn't say anything after that. She just sort of drifts off until she's lazily snoring away. Now I'm hesitant to take the necklace from her. She'll fly into a rage when she sees it gone and likely harm anyone who she thinks took it. A brilliant idea hits me.

 _I'll steal the necklace and put it in some of Nair's stuff_.

A risky plan, but I haven't gotten this far by not having guts. The chain of her necklace is made up of little ovals of silver. I can't find the clasp without digging around in her hair and waking her, so I'll need to stick the tip of my knife into one of the holes, clutch the necklace with my other hand so it doesn't jostle, and break the oval my knife is in by thrusting the blade forward. I'm about to break it when something happens. The woman slightly moves until I can see her face. For once, she looks at ease. The hard lines of her face are gone and her lips aren't stuck in a deep frown. Her whiskers slightly twitch as her steady breathing causes her to move against my hands.

I don't know why, but I move my hands away from her neck. She's been throughout enough shit. She's had her last remaining family member-Nair-turn against her, the caravan seems to be falling apart, and she's had to relive the death of her parents. I'm still going to betray her and take everything she has, but she's been through enough for tonight. I pat her on the forehead before slinking over to sit across from her. My vigil over her begins as I mumble my sentiments.

"You sweet, lucky fool.".

* * *

 **Note: Due to break coming up I won't post for about two weeks since I'll be on vacation. "Disgusting (Rewritten)" will get updated tomorrow and that'll be it for two weeks. Thank you for your patience.**


	8. The Weight of the Survivor

The moon is high in the sky when my vigil finally bores me. Nobody's going to come knocking for the woman and it's clear nobody's going to try to kill her. My curiosity gets the better of me and I begin snooping. I'm not stealing, but rather investigating. There _has_ to be something in this wagon that tells me about who this woman is and what she's chasing. For three hours I sort through junk and traveling supplies until I find something useful. A small, black sack shoved near the back of the wagon. I open it and begin sorting through only to find useful items. Two golden rings studded with diamonds have been forged together. Along their sides, a message is formed.

 _Ali ahziss shal_

 _kotu'sekil jer naba darr_

 _an jer zukoa teko'i_

I pocket the ring, though I'm not going to sell it. Rather, I'd like to find a scribe who can tell me what the sentence means. Hopefully, I'll find out before the Khajiit realizes it's missing. The next thing I find is a wolf's jawbone dangling from a necklace of sinew. In the jawbone is a name scratched in by what I'm assuming is either a knife or, more likely, a claw given the Khajiit behind me has tremendous ones.

 _Fenrir_.

I try to find out more about the jawbone, but I can't find anything useful. I put the bone back into the sack and keep digging.

The next treasure I find is a broken, bloody symbol of Kynareth. I let the twisted piece of metal slide from my hand and back into the bag. Obviously, that has some purpose only the Khajiit will know. The next item I find is another symbol that's covered in rust and twisted. Barely, I can make out that it's a symbol of Talos.

 _Looks like she hasn't given up on her ninth divine_.

I let the symbol slide form my grasp and pull out something more interesting. The black book I find is bound in leather and covered in scratches. I flip the cover open and see a bright-eyed Imperial girl looking at me with a toothy grin. Below her drawn portrait is writing in what I assume is the Khajiit's hand.

 _Dumania Vant._

 _She came from Bruma and was the daughter of a merchant. Her parents showered her with the best equipment, but they couldn't buy her skill. She whined and faked injuries to get out of training, though she was a sweetheart on more than one occasion. She was only halfway through her training when trolls attacked the caravan we were escorting. I found her shredded corpse atop a slumbering babe. I'm still not sure if she willingly gave her life or if her body simply fell atop the child, but I've always gone with the first idea. I buried her alongside the road and went to see her parents to tell them of her death. They mourned her and, to put their minds at ease, I assured them she'd saved the child I found her atop_.

I remember the Khajiit telling me about her deceased squires and realize she must have made a book for them. I turn a few page to see a snarling Orc man staring at me.

 _Yambul gro-Dumulg._

 _He's a slimy bastard I'd love to say I never trusted. He swears he's innocent, but when I found him he was in jail for molesting his young daughter. I didn't want to take him on, but the knights above me wanted our numbers to grow and trusted me to whip him into shape. The worst part was his personality. Not that he was some cruel, sadistic bastard that tortured cats when I wasn't looking. He was like everyone else. He cracked jokes that made me smile, waved at people on the street, and acted as though he was just another normal squire serving a normal knight. It disturbed me beyond belief to see a criminal like him acting like everyone else._

 _For a while, he had me fooled that he might not have molested his daughter. He fed me some shit about his wife wanting the child for herself and I bought it. He was a good fighter and almost a knight when he finally slipped up. I found him climbing out of another squire's tent before running away like his ass was on fire. I questioned the squire and, reluctantly, she admitted Yambul had been raping her and using my name as a shield to keep her from telling anyone. I gutted him like a fish and sent a letter to his wife. She sent one back thanking me_.

I flip through some more pages until an elderly Altmer woman is looking at me.

 _Artia Theodes._

 _My biggest regret. An old monk who wanted to take up the blade and fight as a Knight of the Eight. She had the equipment, but no skill just like Dumania. Only she tried her hardest. She pushed herself to the limits, did everything commanded of her, and was always kind. Only, there were some things her age simply wouldn't allow her to do. Artia injured herself almost constantly and would never give her wounds enough time to heal before resuming training. She actually passed her requirements to become a knight, though. She died the night before her knighting. We were coming back from visiting my brother when we were attacked on the road by bandits._

 _I panicked and tried charging my horse through the brigands. They tripped my horse and were tying me up when Artia did more for me than most everyone I know. She killed all of them and managed to free me, but was wounded deeply in her side during the fight. I rode as hard and quick as I could to go get help. When we returned all that could be done was load her body onto her horse and return her to her son. The boy cursed my name and any descendants I might have, but nothing bad's happened so far. Still, I visit Artia's grave whenever I can. I petitioned for a time to have her posthumously knighted. My fellows denied me until I let the issue drop._

I flip to what appears to be the next to last page with writing on it. A cocky, young Nord man is smirking at me.

 _Yrsarald Kjenssen._

 _The brightest of all my squires. A Nord boy who came from Solitude. He made me uncomfortable with bad and/or too lewd jokes, but he was never hostile or openly rude. The lad always stood a little too close to people when talking and never broken eye-contact for a second. Still, he seemed nice enough if a bit of a loner. Not much to say about him. Came from merchant stock with his own decent weapons and some small amount of skill from serving as a guard for a while. Sadly, he seemed the most likely of my squires to pass into an uneventful knighthood. He wasn't a rapist, elderly, or lacking in skill. Of course, if he had passed into knighthood I wouldn't have even started keeping track of my squires. He was found to have been somewhat of an asshole to the wrong people. _

_He insulted the daughter of one of my overseeing knights and was promptly told to leave the order due to "unknightly conduct". I argued for his sake for a week or so, but the boy never tried too hard to say. He just waved at me and told me I was fun before leaving my service. I tried keeping tabs on him, but Yrsarald seems to be some sort of adventurer. He wandered too far too quickly for me to reliably keep tabs on him. Last I heard, he was playing as a bard somewhere in the Summerset Isles and still single without anything particularly outstanding about him._

I've been skipping huge parts of the book to see random pages and get a feel for the woman. So far, I'm surprised. She told me she had previous squires, but I never expected her to talk about them in such a tone. I would've expected more bravado about herself and less regret over what's happened to them. I expected her to berate her squires for not getting into knighthood or not being able to handle a certain amount or caliber of enemies. Instead, she seems like she actually cares about her squires. That means she's either not as self-centered as she appears, or she has a soft spot for her squires. Either way, it helps me. If she isn't as self-centered as she appears, then I know stroking her ego might not always work and can come up with a different plan.

If she has a soft spot for her squires, then I'll work my way into that spot by becoming her squire. I flip to the final page that has writing on it to see if anything interesting is on it. My hand instinctively twitches when I see my own face looking up at me. _Sapphire_ is written below my picture. The rest is blank, but this means something. The Khajiit must have intended on extending the offer to be her squire to me regardless of what I told her. I know that because I've never seen her write in this book and, from the looks of it, the ink has been dry for a few hours or even possibly a day.

I close the book and shift around in the bag, but nothing else is there. Obviously, these things mean something important to the Khajiit. I'll just need to hold onto the ring for a bit and see if it's a piece of the puzzle I'm trying to fill in. Carefully, I lift the two broken amulets back out of the sack to get a look at them. The Kynareth amulet has a broken chain with half of a name still visible. _Asife_ is all I can make out before the chain snaps in two. It's safe to assume it's a name and, presumably, a female's name. I recall the Khajiit telling me her mother was with her when she died, so I'm going to assume this was her mother's. Carefully, I look over my shoulder.

I don't see anything on the Khajiit to show she's chosen Kynareth as her patron goddess in honor of her mother, but I make a mental note. If Kynareth is indeed the knight's favored god, then it'll be safe to assume this necklace is from her mother and/or the Khajiit knight took up worshiping Kynareth in her mother's honor. Likewise, I make another note to see who Nair's patron god or goddess is. The man's a priest, but I wouldn't be surprised if her took up the god or goddess one of his parent's worshiped. I put down the Kynareth amulet and pick up the Talos one. Half of a name is, once again, all I have to go on. ' _sien_ starts halfway through the necklace with the other half vanishing into thin air just like _Asife_ on the Kynareth amulet.

This one could me male or female, but I'm at least going to assume it's a first name. Both amulets are obviously old and have been damaged by something. Two damaged amulets along with two dead parents is enough for me to assume they belonged to them. However, I'm still working under the assumption both of the Khajiit knight's parents were knights like her. For all I know, her mother was a monk or scribe who worked for their order in different ways. I put the amulets back and put the sack where it was to make sure it doesn't look like anyone's gone through it. I climb back to my spot and look at the slumbering Khajiit. I'll have to keep an eye on her and see if the necklaces have any special meaning to her.

I know for a fact her father was a knight since she was a squire underneath him, but I still need to find out about her mother. If those two cracked necklaces are the last remnants of her parents, then I'll have an edge over her she'll never see. I wouldn't be so cruel as to sell the amulets or get rid of them, but if I needed to blackmail her for my life I wouldn't hesitate. Either way, I'm learning more and more about this woman and how to play her. Hopefully, when we reach Whiterun I'll know exactly how to steal enough from her to begin my new life. Although, I've decided to be somewhat kind to the woman. I'll take what I need for myself, but I won't leave her in ruin. Intentionally.

* * *

 **Note: On the way back from my trip I ended up throwing out my back and, because I'm a gigantic baby when I'm sick or hurt, I'm not going to be posting chapters for a bit. Hopefully, by the weekend I'll feel good enough to get back into the swing of things.**


	9. Against a Dwarf

I've barely gotten comfortable beside the knight when my night finally picks up. The Khajiit's reactions start small at first. The flick of an ear or twitch of a whisker. After an hour of twitching things begin to get more common. Then, they get larger. An ear briefly flattened with lips flaring to reveal ivory fangs. She keeps snarling and flipping her ears at nothing for a solid twenty or so minutes. That's when the noises begin. High-pitched whines and heavy breathing now couple with the snarling. If I was a nice, kind person I would have woken her the second her twitching started. Instead, my curiosity drives me to sit back and watch.

A low, deep growl begins to form and, when I briefly reach my hand out to feel her chest to make sure, her torso is rattling. The Khajiit has barely been growling for a few minutes before her leg jerks upwards and _thunks_ back down to the wooden floor. Another kick flicks the blankets off of her and I can see the woman's hands. All ten of her gigantic, serrated claws are extended and sinking into the wood of the carriage. Her face is twisted in horror and her ears are flattened completely against her head.

Slowly, I begin edging backwards as her growling reaches its crescendo. Her nightmares have carried on for hours and hours, but she awakens all at once. Her dark eyes snap open and two shining rivers form down her cheeks. The growling stops instantly, but her position is frozen. Slowly, her claws slide back into place and her ears come up from her skull. The knight is looking at the ceiling as she carefully relaxes the muscles in her face and closes her lips. Finally, she turns her head until her eyes are focused on me. Her snarl returns and a threat is hissed across the dim room to me.

"Don't _ever_ -". I finish for her both in an attempt to gain her trust, and to put an end to the speech I'm sure she has prepared.

"I didn't see anything.". She glares before flipping back over onto her stomach and awkwardly kicking her blankets back over her body. Her breathing remains uneven as I ponder what I've seen. Crying in your sleep and thrashing is only normal if you're a child. If you're an adult, then there's something wrong with you. A sudden thought occurs to me. I'm one of the few people who's seen this side of the Khajiit. I'll need to keep watching her sleep. If it's a normal occurrence, then finding a way to stop her crying and give her a full night of sleep could make the woman grow attached to me.

An attached knight means it'll be easier to steal from her. I can't fix something broken inside her head, but a potion for dreamless nights would work just as well. I'd just have to give her an increased dose since potions to keep dreams at bay are usually meant for children who wet the bed. I mull over when and where I can get a potion on the road before attempting to steal from her, but nothing comes to my mind. I'm still considering it when the sun barely leaks through the thin cloth ceiling. I'm not exactly sure what the woman has planned for today, though I know she'll want to wake up early to do it. I crawl over to the knight and gently begin to shake her shoulder with a loose grip. The woman wakes with a hiss and a swipe at my head. I barely manage to dodge a blow that would scar before telling her what's going on.

"It's morning.". She grumbles before rising. Once again, the knight doesn't dawn any armor. She changes into some sturdier brown riding clothes rather than her violet robes, but she doesn't look like a knight at all.

 _Maybe it's another piece of the puzzle_.

There has to be a reason she's not wearing her traditional armor. Something dark begins to creep into my mind I learned from a passing conversation with Sapphire a few years ago. A shamed knight may retain their title while being unable to represent their faction. Wearing armor of the Knights of the Eight while being a shamed knight would get her fully exiled from her order or, possibly, punished further. But that doesn't make sense because the Knights of the Eight wouldn't send a shamed knight to gather recruits.

 _Nair is with her_.

Well, shit. Having Nair along now makes sense. The man always wears his armor so, obviously, he hasn't be shamed.

 _She's been shamed and has to bring her brother along to officially represent the Knights of the Eight_.

Connecting the pieces, it makes sense. It explains why the Khajiit is uncomfortable with this mission, why she's afraid of Nair taking control, and why she never wears her armor. She's done something so horrible or incorrectly that the Knights of the Eight are considering exiling her and taking away her knighthood. Now the reason she's leading this if she was such a high-ranking knight like she claims to be also makes sense. This is suppose to teach her something she needs to learn to have her knighthood fully restored. An even darker thought comes to mind.

 _I could blackmail the shit out of her. Get something on her that would ruin this mission and get her expelled. Being a knight is all she's ever known. She'd give me anything I wanted without even daring to bargain_.

I watch the Khajiit tighten the laces of her shirt as she dresses. My chest and gut both clench as my throat closes. I hate myself for feeling it, but I can't stop it. I pity her. She's going to fail her mission regardless of whether I try to ruin it or not. She's arrogant and short-sighted and won't learn whatever her superiors want her to learn. She doesn't deserve that. I don't know her well enough to say what exactly she deserves, but this woman's had enough shit go wrong in her life that she doesn't deserve to be expelled.

Besides, it's a bit of bullshit that the Knights of the Eight can expel people like her at all. I'm sure she's been training since her parents died to become a knight. Twenty or more years of a person's life shouldn't be stolen. Actually, it's most likely their _whole_ life that's being stolen if they're exiled from the order. The Khajiit doesn't know anything else to do, so she'd probably become a mercenary or a bandit. Those occupations aren't necessarily bad, but they aren't what she trained twenty or so years to do. My heart aches for her, though I can't do anything besides not intentionally causing her downfall when I take what I want and leave. The fallen knight finishes dressing and climbs out of the wagon. She begins guiding me to the back of the caravan as she questions me.

"Do you know how to ride?". I make an "eh" sound since I technically know but have never really tried. Thankfully, the Khajiit knows my "eh" is probably bad. Once we get past all the wagons, there are about twenty horses idly grazing. All are saddled and staked to the ground. The knight hums while examining the lot. I stay where I am as she leaves to bring me a chestnut colored stallion who's smaller than every other horse. The Khajiit takes my hand and begins running my fingers over the horse's soft, short fur along his nose as she introduces us.

"This is Lucky. He's tame as can be, smart enough not to let you run into anything, and he'll follow my horse if your commands ever get muddled.". A nearby rock is all the assistance I need to get one foot in a stirrup and swing onto Lucky. Shifting my weight is a bit awkward and it's mildly concerning to be riding a horse for the first time, but I follow the commands the knight gives me.

"Sit there and start getting the feel of his weight. I'll be right back.". She rushes off behind me as I continue shifting around until my spine and Lucky's are aligned. The horse shifts around a bit and I take the opportunity to get use to the feeling of having another living creature controlling where my weight is going. The saddle's tight enough and I have enough wits to start feeling like I won't go toppling off the second Lucky starts moving. I'm barely comfortable when the _click_ of a horse approaching me causes Lucky's ears to perk. The most stereotypical knight's horse comes into view.

Bright blue eyes, a striking snowy coat, and a pink nose and rim around the eyes. Even the hooves of the tremendous beast are white enough to be painful to the eye. The long, flowing mane and tail make the creature look even more like it's out of a children's story. The horse, however, quickly proves it's just as arrogant as its mistress. The beast struts around until it's looking Lucky straight in the face. Then, it spits. It doesn't hit Lucky and Lucky doesn't even seem to notice, but I can already tell that this animal was made by the gods specifically for his mistress to have.

In fact, his mistress looks almost giddy from atop her white, leather saddle atop her horse that dwarfs mine. Thankfully, her happiness doesn't leak into her voice as she tells me how to control Lucky. With each command, she lifts up her horse's reins and demonstrates.

"Forward is kissing.". She lifts the reins, but doesn't move them as she makes kissing noises. Both Lucky and the larger horse snort and refuse to move forward since they'd ram into each other. The knight doesn't seem to mind.

"Back is gently pulling backwards.". She, quite surprisingly, is gentle as she holds the reins backwards enough to put a light pressure on her horse's nose. The animal slowly begins backing up and the knight releases the pressure.

"Left is gently pulling left.". Once again, she's actually _nice_ as she gently applies pressure to the left side of the horse's nose using the reins. The knight lets her horse do a complete turn before giving me the final command.

"Right is doing the same thing on the right.". Another nice tug and another complete circle. What the knight says next sounds almost sweet about the animals.

"They're both really smart, so don't worry about them running into a tree or walking off a cliff. They've actually been trained to think of your body as an extension of theirs, so Lucky won't go under a tree too low for you to pass or a space too narrow for your knees to pass through.". I notice her gently stroking her horse's shoulder as she finishes up about the animals.

"Lucky has to take breaks to pee an awful lot, but you'll know when he does that because he won't follow any commands before you start hearing it. He should compensate by speeding up after he's done. Don't worry, we'll stick to the main roads and I doubt Lucky will let Cupcake out of his sights. If we run into trouble, then ride Lucky to safety while I take care of it. I'd suggest dismounting, but you probably won't be able to do that without me. Lucky tends to start going forward when people try to get off unless someone else is holding him. Any questions?". Well, yeah. I don't know what the fuck we're doing or why we're on horses.

"What are we doing?". She breaks eye-contact and her ears flicker down to her skull. Clearly, the woman hadn't realized she'd left me in the dark. She makes up for it by filling me in with good news.

"You and I are going to go ahead of the caravan to Riverwood after I officially give command of the caravan to Nair. We'll need to warn Riverwood that we're coming through and pay the local establishments to serve us. Most won't accept caravans as large as ours without a deposit.". I nod and the knight doesn't say anything else. She turns her horse in a circle and uses a silent command she didn't teach me to get Cupcake-god that's an awful name for a horse-to begin moving. I kiss the air and start the next leg of my journey.


	10. Psalm 119:61

_Ten Feet from Vex..._

Cupcake's ears flickering and speed slowing is my first sign something is wrong. The silence that fills the woods is the next. Sapphire pulls Lucky up beside me with shaky hands and her reins pulled too tight. Her horse begins walking backwards before she slackens her reins.

"What's-". I shush her. I do my best to look calm and collected as I scan the woods surrounding the rocky path we're riding down. I'm certain I've failed. My heart is thundering against its cage, my throat has tighten to the point that breathing is painful, and my lowest layer of fur is soaked with sweat already. I can't help it. Fighting by myself is one thing, but fighting beside my squire is another entirely. I've utterly and completely failed to see any of my squires to knighthood.

Sapphire's going to be different. She _has_ to be. My eyes find nothing among the brush, but I don't believe it. Cupcake's smarter than most people and knows danger when it's coming. I feel completely naked without my thick armor protecting me and Cupcake likewise stripped of his armor. I keep scanning over the brush trying to find my enemy. It's near the base of a tree not three feet from Cupcake that I find what I'm looking for. Two tremendous, amber eyes are looking at me from the darkness surrounding the tremendous tree. I pray they're the eyes of a lone wolf waiting for unwary prey to wander by its hiding spot.

Suddenly, the eyes begin to move higher up while still remaining in the scarce darkness of the tree. The eyes go up, up, up until they're towering above me. A bear, then. Alright, I can handle a bear. I had to fight a lot of them back in Cyrodiil. The damned animals near ruled the wilderness back there. I silently slide my sword from its scabbard and, slowly, dismount Cupcake. I never break contact with the amber eyes gazing at me from the dark. Sapphire, thankfully, is smart enough to stay silent and watch me work. If I'm lucky, I'll slay the bear with ease and be able to implement some knowledge upon my squire. I've dismounted and prepare to walk forward.

What steps into the light causes me to freeze. The woman's taller than anyone I've ever talked to, though that's not the reason I stop. I've killed men and women who make her look short. No, the reason I stop is what she's wearing. Thick, tangled pelts make her a walking mess of hide. Bones woven throughout her clothing and her tangled, dark hair speak to what she is. Nothing more than a simple bandit roaming the roads and looking for someone to rob. A rusted sword and busted shield attest to how successful the woman's been.

 _She's just a bandit. Nothing more. She bleeds like everyone else. She doesn't even have armor on. A simple slash across her unprotected neck before she can get her shield up can end this before it begins._

I've been repeating that mantra since I became a knight. It's suppose to be my job to kill bandits to protect citizens. Even now, I can't do it: My sword arm is beginning to shake and rattle against my will; my throat has completely shut and cut off any semblance of air; my knees are failing me enough I know I'm about to fall; and, worse of all, my vision is beginning to blur with water. This woman could be anyone. She could be a robber or a thief or anyone else. But I know the look of a bandit. It's in the way they walk and move and speak. She hasn't spoken yet, but I can see the power in her shoulders and cruelty in her eyes. This woman's a bandit that's been chased away from her own kind.

I can't handle normal bandits, let alone ones like her. My sword and shield clatter to the ground and soon enough my knees join them. A high, crazed cackle causes me to flinch as I close my eyes and turn my head downwards. Many people rage and howl about how submission is worse than death, but most would rather bow their heads that be slaughtered like lambs. Letting a bandit take me is better than the alternative. Calloused, rough fingers dig deep into my mane until her nails are scrapping against my scalp. I keep my eyes close as my head is turned upwards. The familiar sensation of a chain being draped around my neck greets me.

What happens next isn't what's supposed to happen. I'm suppose to be collared and drug deep into the woods to become the bandit's. Instead, a coppery, hot liquid splatters my lips and a _huh_ noise fills my ears. I pry my eyes open. The bandit's amber eyes are dull and a dagger protruding from her chest speaks to what the cause is. Slowly, the bandit wobbles before making a _thunk_ noise as she falls to the side and collides with the ground. As she goes, the dagger slides out of her and baptizes me for a second time in blood. Sapphire now stands where the bandit did. Only she takes the chain off my neck instead of placing it. The second the chain is off my neck the stupor I was in is broken.

Burning shame fills me entirely and I can't find it in myself to look Sapphire in the eyes as I stand. This is the second time a squire has had to save me from bandits. I can't handle them. Ever since I was a child, fighting bandits makes me freeze and panic. Hence, why I never travel the roads alone. It'd be my biggest shame if I was captured by bandits without any type of fight. Sapphire was the one doing the fighting, but if she'd lost I could at least kid myself into believing I'd been taken against my will rather than submitting. I turn back towards Cupcake and start walking. I don't want to say anything to Sapphire. I want to get riding and pretend this never happened.

"Ah-hum.". I ignore Sapphire and grab onto Cupcake's saddle. My horse betrays me and begins backing away. The damned animal's too smart for his own good. If he keeps it up he'll be dinner before this is over. I try once again to mount him. Cupcake either knows I love him too much to harm him, or he's arrogant enough to think he's smarter than me. Either way, he backs up again.

"Ah- _hum_!". I can't meet her eyes, but I turn towards Sapphire. I feel my ears being flattened to my skull and my tail beginning to twitch. My voice is far quieter than I want it as I speak. It even cracks. "

What?". My breathing and pulse still aren't even. Sapphire speaks quietly, but I can hear a bit of an edge in her voice.

"What was that?". I try to think of anything to tell her. Of any lie I can give this woman. I barely manage to glance at her face, but it tells me all I need to know. She won't believe anything I have to tell her unless it's the truth. I want so badly for my squire to think of me as the brave, strong knight that I yearn to be. I want Sapphire to think I can never be beat and that I always know what I'm doing. It's what I've done with all my squires. And, always without fail they find out something about me that ruins the image.

I'd been hoping Sapphire would find that something later rather than sooner, but the gods have other plans. I need to train this woman to become a true knight like I am. Showing her the truth is important and that even knights have weaknesses will help her. Besides, I need Sapphire to trust me if I'm going to pull this mission off and get what I need. I swallow my pride and look down towards the ground. I need to tell her what she needs to know, but I still can't bring myself to look into her eyes as I tell her.

"I can't fight bandits.". A scoff causes my spine to shudder and my pride to flare. I want to argue. I want to tell Sapphire to stop scoffing and to accept that it's a real and common issue of not being able to fight bandits. I don't. Nair convinced me long ago that weathering the scoffs is better than looking like a fool defending myself. He might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he has his moments. Still, I cringe as Sapphire begins to speak again.

"You can't fight bandits?". I nod and keep looking at the ground. Sapphire begins to scoff again, but stops halfway through.

"Because of your parents.". It's not a question and even if it was, it's still true. I watched my parents, the best damned knights in the order, be slaughtered like sheep on two separate occasions. First, I watched my father die. Then, I was forced to spend almost a year with the bastards because the leader kept imagining there was some search party coming for me that she could ransom me off to for a small fortune. Only nobody besides my mother was looking for me. Oblivion, the only reason I survived was because one of the bandits was a big enough fool to keep claiming there was a reward coming, and my mother finding the bandits. The only reason I survived when my mother didn't is because the only bandit who survived was foolish enough to let me go and believe I'd reward him for his service.

I rewarded his service by hunting him down and making him pay. But Sapphire knows the last part. What she doesn't know is that one man is the only bandit I've ever killed and, when I killed him, he was hardly a bandit at all. I can't stand up to real bandits. Each time I see them I just remember watching my parents die and the year I spent in their service. Warriors and knights alike often mock bandits for being a "starting enemy" for weaker adventurers. I can't handle them. And, now Sapphire knows that.

Now she knows her mentor can slay bears and wolves and wizards but can't kill a simple bandit. If Sapphire wasn't here, then I would've fallen to my knees and let the bandit take me without so much as a word of protest. If it were up to me I'd slay every bandit I saw to avenge my parents and the wrongs done to me. Only I can't. It's nature for me to just drop to my knees and wait for the bandits to do whatever they have in mind.

The only mercy is that Sapphire understands. She understands this comes from my parents and not from me being merciful or kind. She still knows I'm a knight worthy of following that can kill anything. Just not bandits. Suddenly, a soft hand comes to rest on my shoulder. I can't read Sapphire's face when I finally look at it. She's biting her lip and furrowing her brow. Her voice isn't any easier to read as she speaks.

"Hey, come on. It's not that bad. I'll take care of the bandits and you take care of the dragons, okay?". I begin shaking my head. All of my squires that found out my secret would try the same thing. They'd try to tell me I either didn't need to fight bandits because I was too important, or because they weren't worth my time. I cut off her argument before she can start.

"Knights are supposed to be able to fight anyone. Including bandits. I'm a failure to my oath.". Sapphire is silent for a long while and just keeps looking me in the eyes. When she speaks, it's oddly comforting.

"It must feel like shit feeling that way.". My chest lightens and, somehow, my worries seem to smooth over a bit. I nod as my ears come up and my tail stops twitching. What I say next is enough to cause Sapphire to offer me a small smile.

"You know, it does.". Sapphire nudges me towards my horse.

"Come on, this road's safe because of the guards. We won't run into anymore of them.". It's ridiculous to be comforted by her, but I can't help it. I loosen up and, thankfully, Cupcake lets me on him. I wait until Sapphire is remounted to nudge Cupcake forward. I can only pray the next enemy I find is a bear.


	11. Something Old

_A Few Feet from the Dovahkiin..._

My heart aches as I watch the knight dismount Cupcake and begin rooting through his saddlebags. The woman's arrogant and proud, but it's clear her pride's broken within a second of spotting a bandit. Knowing you can be broken so easily just by the sight of an enemy must destroy her inside. Even now she's avoiding looking at me. She doesn't even come to help me out of my saddle. Instead, I have to struggle down just as I did when the bandit was wrapping a chain around the knight's neck.

If it hadn't been for me, then the woman would be a slave right now. I land on my foot the wrong way and hurt my ankle, but I'm otherwise fine. I take Lucky's reins and lead him up to where the Khajiit's finally got her supplies out of Cupcake's saddles. I notice she's carrying the small, black bag that I stole the welded rings from. Hopefully, she won't look in it or realize one of her prized possessions is missing. I say the first words I've said to her since we left the bandit's body.

"Where are we going to stable our horses?". Riverwood is a smaller settlement that doesn't have a stable. Although, it becomes clear the knight doesn't know that. She turns to me with her ears flatten and face scrunched up.

"Does Riverwood not have any stables?". I shake my head as I'm reminded this woman isn't from Skyrim. I take pity on her, though I've done that a lot recently, and inform her of the general rule of Skyrim.

"Cities that don't have walls don't have stables or carriages.". The woman sighs and begins looking around the area we're at. The wall of Riverwood is in front of us with nothing besides a pile of wood near us. The knight sighs before walking over to the pile of wood. She ties Cupcake to a log before kissing her animal on the shoulder.

 _Odd_.

Seeing the woman empathize with anyone-even an animal-is an odd sight. Thought, I've learned that she isn't the one-sided person I originally thought she was. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some good buried inside of her. I tie Lucky up when I see the woman beginning to move. Lucky snorts as I turn and jog to catch up with the knight. The movement of my legs draws my attention to the throbbing and aching in my thighs. I winch and look over the Khajiit. Not a single awkward step or sign of pain.

 _Damned knights_.

Suddenly, the woman stops as we enter Riverwood. She scans the tiny town and asks me an obvious question.

"Where are the guards?". A tightness lodges in my chest. I already know for a fact that Riverwood doesn't have any guards, but the knight doesn't. That means she didn't prepare for this trip like she should've. She didn't know Riverwood didn't have any stables or guards and, I'm going to assume, she doesn't have any idea about the current situations in Whiterun and/or other parts of Skyrim under Imperial control. This makes it easier for me to control her, but-for some reason-her lack of knowledge isn't settling right with me. Without me, she won't have any idea what's going on in Skyrim.

 _Maybe it couldn't hurt to stay with her a little longer than Whiterun before stealing from her_.

I push that thought deep down and ignore it. I'm not going to stay with the knight just because she doesn't have any idea what she's doing. Coming to a foreign country without any idea how things work is her fault, not mine. Still, giving her a little information couldn't hurt.

"Riverwood doesn't _have_ a guard. All of them are up in Whiterun.". A deep scowl overcomes the knight's face as she flattens her ears. She shrugs and motions for me to continue following her. Obviously, something's up. Her ears are still flat and she's giving the ground a glare that could kill as she walks. I do my best to drag it out by playing up the "trusted adviser" angle again.

"What's going on in that mind of yours?". She grunts and doesn't respond until we're walking up the steps of "The Sleeping Giant".

"This place should really have some guards. I'm thinking about leaving some knights behind and picking them up on the way back.". A horrible idea, really. Religious knights guarding a town isn't bad for the townspeople, but the knights will _definitely_ mind. They didn't follow the Khajiit to some icy, foreign land to make all the villagers in a small town play nice with one another. Still, it's actually nice to see the Khajiit thinking of someone other than herself.

 _Maybe that good isn't buried as deep as I thought._

I clear my throat to stop the Khajiit before she enters the inn. She turns to me with her ears perked and the scowl off her face. I do my best to let her down gently. Helping her isn't on the top of my list of things to do, but it won't cost me anything.

"Riverwood isn't alone. When you get to Whiterun just tell the jarl that he needs to defend his town.". She smiles and nods. I can't help sighing in relief when it's clear she agrees with me. However, I clear my throat again when she turns to enter the inn. I need to find out what the rings in my pocket say and return them to the Khajiit before she notices. The knight turns to me again and I make up some excuse.

"I have a friend here in Riverwood that I could talk to about getting some guards down here. Do you mind if I go talk to him?". She instantly nods and waves a hand in a shooing motion at me.

"Just be quick and careful, okay? I don't want my squire getting injured.". I nod and turn to leave. The door to the inn opens and _clicks_ shut before I've reached the bottom of the stairs. I pull the rings from my pocket and, once again, look at the inscription on it.

 _Ali ahziss shal_

 _kotu'sekil jer naba darr_

 _an jer zukoa teko'i_

The script is completely and utterly foreign to me, but I'm going to go ahead and assume it's the Khajiit's native language. Shockingly, that information doesn't help me either. I keep the rings in my hand as I look across the street to see "The Riverwood Trader". General merchants, rarely, will translate foreign texts for a steep fee. I still have some gold on me from the last job I did for the Thieves Guild, and I don't mind spending it on a translation if I find out more about the woman I'm traveling with. The store is cramped and smoking from a small fire when I enter, but the man behind the counter offers me a warm smile that makes up for it. I go up to the counter, place the rings in front of him, and tell him what I want.

"Can you translate these?". He nods and picks the rings up. My heart sinks as a deep frown etches onto his face. The words he says next aren't comforting.

"Camilla!". Footsteps behind me alert me of someone coming down before the woman joins the man behind the counter.

"Yes?". He shows her the rings.

"Ta'agra, right?". The woman squints at the rings before nodding.

"Ta'agra, definitely.". The woman pats the man on the shoulder before disappearing back up the stairs. Looks like my suspicions were right. Ta'agra is the native language of the Khajiit. Now I just need to know what it says. Thankfully, it looks like I'm about to find out. The man kneels down and pulls a thick, leather tome from beneath the counter. Her squints at the rings while flipping through the pages. It takes a while, but he eventually stops and finds a word.

He digs out a blank piece of parchment, ink, and a quill from beneath the counter. He scribbles down a word before flipping again. His eyes flicker back and forth between the ring and the words. Shockingly, it takes him almost half of an hour to flip through and translate the rings. Apparently, as he put it, he has to find the words, put them into context, and take grammar into account. So, when he's finally done I feel a shudder of relief fill me. The man hands me the ring back, though what he says isn't exactly comforting.

"A few of the words don't quite translate right, but the meaning comes across. Care to hear it?".

 _No, I just spent thirty minutes of my life and the gods know how much gold for you to keep it to yourself._

"Yes.". He nods and, finally, tells me what's on the Khajiit's welded rings.

"The first line is, "High I love.". It's the one that doesn't quite translate right. High means much and, in this context, it's in reference to whoever engraved the rings to whoever they gave the rings to.".

 _Alright, the Khajiit was given these rings by someone who loved her. Probably wedding or engagement rings_.

"The second line is, "May you be kind.". It translates well enough, but-as you can hear-it sounds a little rough. Still means the same thing, though. More a wish for their happiness if you look at it in this context.".

 _Okay, these were_ definitely _wedding rings. Wishing someone always remains kind isn't the most romantic thing, but you don't tell a friend you hope they're happy forever by giving them a ring_.

"The final line is, "And you glass full.". Ta'agra doesn't have "your" in it, so "you" is the closest it can get. Obviously, wishing someone an easy life.". I nod as I let everything sink in.

 _I love you more than anything, I hope you're always happy, and I hope your life is never full of hardships_.

The words on the rings aren't nearly that eloquent when translated and the sentences are short, but it's clear these rings are from a marriage. I look over the welded ones and, noticing the man's an Imperial, ask a question about Cyrodiil culture.

"Do welded rings mean anything in Cyrodiil?". The man makes a "so-so" motion with his hand before telling me what he knows.

"Somewhat. Traditionally, widows and widowers get their rings welded together to wear as a chain at the funeral of their spouse. Though, that went out of style a while ago. Now it's more common to either bury the ring with the dead, or to weld them together to wear as one ring.".

 _Well, shit_.

I went digging around in the Khajiit's past hoping to find a ruby or two and ended up getting an entire sack of diamonds. Finding out the woman's a widow isn't exactly _exciting_ , but now I have something I can work towards. If I can get her to reveal that information herself, then I can start getting the bond we've developed to run deeper and make it even easier to steal from her when the time comes.

I give the man the hundred gold he wants for the translation, pocket the rings, and leave the store. Already, I can tell I'm too late. The Khajiit is vividly discussing something with a bearded man near a forge across the street. From the way they're flailing their hands and howling I can tell it's a disagreement. The term "ring" is said more than once. A rock forms in my stomach, but I can't stop. I swallow my fear and make my way towards them.

 _This won't go badly_.

The Khajiit's screaming becomes even louder. Hopefully.


	12. James 4:7

_Twenty Feet from Vex..._

The thief before me continues lying as he attempts to intimidate me into standing down. The blacksmith has puffed himself up like a cat and is screaming at the top of his lungs.

 _He's out of his league._

I despise the idea of Khajiit being common cats, but I _can_ puff my fur up to a certain extent. Not as high as a regular cat, though enough that it makes me appear bigger than I am. I'm using that to my advantage and making myself look as large as possible while screaming as loud as I can. Most of the names I'm calling the smith aren't in a language he can understand, but I understand him perfectly. He's insulted my heritage, race, and status. Deep down, I know I need to stop. My ears are ringing and my vision is beginning to swing. I'm about to go into a rage that'll end with a busted smith and me in chains. Nair would pull me back. Nair would pull me back and calm me down. Nair would warn me about the door that my rage opens.

 _Nair's not good for me. Sapphire's proven that enough._

Nair's always been trying to bring me down. He's told me time and time again to let my power go. To let the burning rage inside me smolder and die. I've let it. I've burned out my flame a thousand times and _this_ is where it's got me. In the middle of Skyrim on a mission doomed to failure without a single friend in the world.

 _Letting my rage guide me_ once _won't hurt. It might actually do me some good. I'd know how to suppress it better if I truly knew how it felt to wield it. Besides, She isn't as powerful as She was back home. I can fend Her off._

I feel the fine thread at the base of my skull. The last bit of resistance I have against the beast inside of me. Kynareth is a kind and loving goddess. She'll forgive me for the sin I commit. Besides, it's not like I'm punching a rabbit or anything. I release the thread. My sight and touch are the first to go. A thick cloth of black is draped over my face and tingling overrides my skin. Taste and smell are the next two. My tongue goes dead and the smell of the forge dies away. The last thing to go is my hearing.

The screaming of the smith consumes my ears before I finally go into the special place where I'm devoid of all sense. I've never gotten this far. I've only ever lost my sense of smell before pulling myself out of this to make sure She doesn't get me. I always thought losing all five sense would be terrifying. It actually isn't. It's like going to bed without actually having to shut off my mind. It's nice.

 _I could stand to come here more often_.

Slowly, the thread begins to reform in the back of my skull. Fear grips me without any true feeling. I don't want to leave. I want to stay here until all my problems have worked themselves out. But I can't and things come back. Hearing is my first to come back to me. Low, pained groaning greets me. Taste and smell are next, and they're both filled with blood. Finally, sight and feeling come back with feeling leading by a little. My hands are soaked in liquid and it feels like I'm holding uncooked beef.

When my sight returns I'm looking down at the mess I've caused. I've pushed the smith back onto his workbench and have my hands wrapped around his torn, bloody throat with my claws sunk deep into his flesh. The man's entire face, neck, and chest are little more than bloody slabs with bruises covering wherever there isn't bloody gushing. Slowly, I look down at my own chest. My robes are soaked in blood and I have no doubt my face is likewise covered in it. I lick my lips free of the irony liquid and bite my lip.

Carefully, I remove my claws. The smith slides to the ground onto my feet. I kick myself free and step back. I'm aware of another presence beside me, but I'm also aware of _another_ presence with me. Someone familiar's speaking, though that's not what I pay attention to. The ghost of a whisper that I know all too well is speaking _right_ behind my ears. I flick my ears. The whisper stays and, very slowly, intensifies. I'm not sure how long I'm standing there until the whisper _finally_ gets loud enough I can hear it. Although, I already knew what was going to be said.

" _Bathe in your power. Don't turn away._ ". The thread in the back of my skull throbs. I whisper as softly as I can in my mind. Already, I know the whisperer will hear my thoughts.

 _Fine_.

The throbbing in my skull disappears and the whispering stop. Still, the whisperer's presence remains hanging over me. I turn my attention to corporal beings and spin around in a circle. Sapphire is the only person around. My squire isn't looking at me with disgust or fear like Nair would. Instead, she's looking at me with almost a curious expression on her face. One eyebrow is raised and her head is cocked. Thankfully, my squire reacts before I do.

"What're you going to do?". An uncomfortable tightness in my chest unravels. Sapphire's here for me. She'll always be here. She's one of the best damned squires I've ever had. I motion towards the cooling corpse and tell my squire what I need her to do.

"Keep a lookout for anyone. I'm going to drag him across the river and into some trees. When I'm safe, go back to the inn and ask the innkeeper where our room is. Just go in and act natural. Can you do that?". My squire nods. I offer her a big, bloody smile before she bounds away. I watch her exit the smith's forging area, turn around, and scale the building.

 _Where the fuck did she learn that?_

I ignore the thought as I realize this will help me beyond belief. I turn towards the corpse and realize I'm going to need more help. I close my eyes, feel for the thread in my skull, and begin to pray once I feel it. For a moment, nothing happens. I fear the whisperer will turn Her back on me and I'll be stuck on my own. Then, I feel raw, uncut power coursing through my body in waves.

The whisperer doesn't answer me very often, but when She does She gives me the tools I need. I lean down and pick the corpse up with a single hand. My legs resonate with strength they shouldn't have as I begin my frantic run. A thick, obvious trail of blood is marking where I'm going, but the river will cut it off and let me take care of the blood later. Easily, I jog down to the bridge near the forge, cross it to the mill, and leap into the water. Even the water sucking at my robes and the chilling current digging into my side can't stop me. I swim across the river with one hand in three strokes without the corpse ever slowing me down.

I pull myself dripping from the water and look at the small, thick area of trees in front of me. I drag the corpse into the thicket and pray Sapphire can't see me. The man _thunks_ to the ground as I drop him into a pile of grass and leaves. My inhuman strength leaves me just as soon as it came. The whisperer gives all She can, but She doesn't give beyond what's needed. That would only make me weak and dependent. I kneel down and look around. I'm surrounded by thick bushes, tall trees, and piles of brush. There's no way in oblivion that Sapphire will see me. I look down at the corpse before me.

 _He was a man. He has a ring on his finger. That means he had a family that'll miss him. I've stolen the most precious gift the gods can give._

The thread at the back of my skull throbs and I whimper in agony. The whisperer went quiet when I came to Skyrim. I'd prayed to my gods that I'd escaped Her reach. For a while, I thought I had. I thought Her reach didn't stretch beyond Cyrodiil. I was wrong. For whatever reason, it just took Her a while to find me after I left. She began whispering to me again when I first left Riften. Only a little, though. A word or two about Nair or Sapphire. She hadn't been able to pull the cord at the back of my head and control me. But Her power returned. It always does. She leaves me for long periods of time, but I always know She is there.

Occasionally, She will pluck the string in my head to remind me She is still there. She is still watching. And listening. She had let me go free for the last few days, but I know what caused it. The bandit. The whisperer always tells me She hates weakness. She couldn't let me get away with kneeling before the brigand. It was a test. Oblivion, I wouldn't be surprised if She had _sent_ the bandit! Either way, She saw my weakness and needs to get rid of it. My weakness can only be cleansed in blood. She told me so when I first felt Her crawling around in my skull. My panic at losing my wedding rings must have been the end for Her. A panicking, weak vessel is no vessel at all. She needs me to become stronger. Strength can only be stolen from the life of another.

I shakily begin to undress the man until his hairy chest is bare to me. I straddle the corpse to get a better angle to rest my hands against him. His pale, cooling skin is clammy against my palms. I hesitate again. I gave into the power at the forge when I panicked. But I can resist it now. I can fight against the whisperer. A high, sharp laugh breaks out right behind my ears. I flip my ears down and shut my eyes. She knows I can't fight Her. She knows it and She begins using my string just to remind me. A single, violent throb in the back of my skull is all it takes to get me to yield. My eyes snap open as I sink all ten of my claws deep into the corpse's chest and begin _cracking_ him open.

My human strength is enough to pop his ribs and reveal a stilled heart nestled in a bed of red and white. I don't hesitate. I can _feel_ Her presence bearing down upon me. If I do what She says She will make me have nightmares all night and awake looking like death tomorrow morning. If I refuse before giving in She will make me have nightmares during my waking hours until I break and make another sacrifice in Her honor without hesitation. I _rip_ the man's heart from his chest and hold it up to the sky. Her presence is enough to make me tremble. I eat the sweet, chewy heart in three tremendous bites. It doesn't matter how quickly or slowly I eat it, all that matters is it's in my gut where it belongs.

She's gone. She gives one last laugh I can barely hear before leaving me. No more presence bearing down on me. No more whispering in my ear. No more throbbing on the thread that's in the back of my skull. I rub my head and feel a familiar ridge running along the back of my head. I've had it since Riften, but it's never been this big since I was a child. I feel my lip begin to quiver and my eyes water at the implications. Being blessed twice weekly kept Her away. It kept my mind my own.

She was still with me, but I could ignore Her. Now, without my access to blessings since my banishment, She has returned. I slowly stroke the ridge. I haven't fallen into a rage this bad since the incident that got me exiled in the first place. This entire mission was to chase Her away from my mind. To make my flesh my own again. But She is back. She won't let me go. Not yet. A familiar sniffing noise causes me to look up. Sif is standing before me.

" _No_.". My best friend's eyes have taken on a familiar white tint.

"Let him go!". Sif's lips curl in a human smile. Slowly, he shakes his head. I collapse against the ground. She's taken Sif. Just like she did so many years ago when he found me in the wild. She hasn't felt the need to watch me like this since I was a child barely aware of Her presence. I begin struggling to breath as tears leave my eyes. I know it's useless, but I beg Her. I look into Sif's glassy eyes and watch tears stream down my face as I plead with Her.

"I'll give you all the damned hearts you want, just let Sif go!". Sif's smile disappears. A deep, low growl resonates both from my friend and from behind my ear.

" _Three_.". I nod my head without even considering the fact I'll need to murder three people tonight. I _can't_ have Her in Sif. I'm _not_ going to let Sif suffer and I'm _definitely_ not going to let her keep that close of an eye on me. Sif's eyes snap back to normal as the whisperer returns to Her plane. Instantly, I'm hugging my wolf. He yips in terror and begins trying to get away, but I hold him tight. He's back to normal. Now I just need to keep him that way.


	13. Her Shadow in the Moonlight

I scream when I'm pulled from my cage. I'd thought for a year that the cage the bandits kept me in was the single worst experience of my life. The woman who bought me from them proved me wrong on my first day in her "care". The cage is too small for me to even fit in. Her henchmen have to physically pull and push my body into shape before _barely_ locking the cage and forcing the straining metal together. I end up with my knees on the side of my face, my spine curled into a "c" shape, and my arms folded back behind my curled back. That's why my screaming is primarily out of pain instead of fear. The muscles in my back tighten and spasm whenever I'm forced out of my "c" shape.

The pain's intense enough I cry and howl every time I'm forced from my haven. If I can, I'll even cling to the Orcs that come to take me away. Most rebuff me and shove me away, but-very rarely-one will be kind enough to let me grab onto them and walk out my pain. The agony never goes away, though walking with an awkward curl and one leg higher than the other makes the pain calm down. Still, there's a reason I try to walk through the dark, dank castle as quick as I can. The sooner I reach their leader, the sooner I get my relief. She's waiting for me where she always is: her bedroom. The gigantic room is decorated with the finest, diamond-encrusted furniture that gold can buy.

Rugs, draperies, torches, and paintings add the extra flare to the room. Honestly, when I was first brought to this room I'd thought I was going to be spared some cruelty. That was, until the guards left and locked the door to prevent my escape as their mistress stepped from the shadows that-somehow-always cover the walls of the room. Today is no different than back then. The guards shove me into the room before slamming the door and _clicking_ it shut. I use to defy the Orc that comes from the shadows. I use to rebel and snarl and scream my rage at her. I tried to act like my father and mother when they were alive. A single session with the Orcish woman that's stalking towards me encouraged me to not follow my parents' paths.

The woman in question has finished her entrance and is standing before me. I close my watering eyes as I shift my weight from side to side in a desperate attempt to alleviate the agony shooting up my back. Besides, I already know every inch of the woman's body: Her greenish-grey skin is rotting and slides anytime I tough it; her teeth are shattered and yellow with a black tongue between them; her yellow, filmy eyes are sunken deep into her skull; her hair is a tangled rat's nest of black cotton; her long, black nails have been filed to sharp points she likes to dig into my skin; and I'm _certain_ I've seen parasites crawling on her skin no matter how much she denies it.

I still think the woman looks like she was an Orc once, but it's obvious she isn't anything remotely mortal now. I tried killing her when I was first brought to her castle. I remembered the bravery and honor my mother and father showed and tried to draw on it. My first lesson was how far bravery and honor would get me. As it turns out, not very far. That's why I stand before her now without a word and, instead, focus on relieving the pain in my back. I'm shifting and silently crying for ten minutes before the woman motions towards her bed.

"Go.". I hobble as quick as my legs will carry me-pain shooting up and down my spine as I go-and awkwardly turn away from the bed before collapsing onto it. I scream in both agony and ecstasy. Lying down alleviates _some_ of the pain, but I'm not in the proper position. If I could wiggle my hips a little to the right I wouldn't have any pressure on my back and I'd be in a divine realm.

Slowly, I wiggle my hands underneath my ass and push my fingers into the soft, plush bed beneath me. A sharp pain stabs me anytime I try to lift myself to position myself into the large divot my ass has made after months of lying in this bed without moving. Ultimately, I'm forced to rely on the woman like always. The rotting woman walks over to me with the sweetest smile I've ever seen plastered across her face. Her voice is high and mocking as she talks to me.

"Do you want me to move you?". It always hurts when she roughly yanks me into position, but the days of relief that come after it are worth it. Still, that thought doesn't stop the tears coming down my face as I nod.

"What will you give me?". She reaches out and begins playing with my ankles.

" _Anything_.". A smile splits her face and I howl in absolute torment as I'm yanked into the divot I've made. Instantly, my howl stops. All pressure is off my lower back and, for the first time in a long time, I feel myself falling asleep. The woman crawls into bed with me. The shifting of the bed sends a small stab of pain up my back, but not enough to complain. My captor takes me in her arms and whispers her rancid, cold breath directly into my ear.

"Sleep. I'll get what I want once you're rested.". I can't even fight her as my eyes slide shut. When I wake, though, I already know what price she wants this time. My shirt is off and the woman's lovingly kissing my stomach. Her eyes lock with mine and she smiles.

"You know what I want?". I nod and close my eyes. Sharp, throbbing pain shoots out from my midsection as the woman _chomps_ into my stomach. My screams resonate and echo off the walls until, finally, the woman's bitten off her fill and shoves some cloth in my bleeding wound. I open my eyes to see her hanging above me with my blood dripping down her face and a chunk of _me_ in her hand.

Her fire spell washes over it once until the meat's cooked enough to eat. I can't close my eyes as I watch and see every _crunch_ she takes of me. The toll isn't the worst I've ever paid, but it's always the end that gets to me. The last bite of _me_ is forced past my lips. I chew the stringy, tasteless meat as the Orc watches with a smile spread across her face. One of her claws comes out to stroke my chin as she tells me a variation of the saying she always says whenever I'm paying the price for my release.

"Each bite brings you closer to god.". I gave up figuring out what Aedra or Daedra this woman worships long ago. Whenever I ask her she just smiles and tells me she worships "Her". Thankfully, I swallow the last bite of _me_ without any incident. That's probably going to be the only food I get for a while, so I try to savor it as it disappears down my throat. The woman strokes my face again and commands me.

"Open.". I open my mouth and move my tongue around. I tried to fool her the first time by not swallowing. She beat me until my back was broken for my "disobedience". The Orc's convinced I've eaten myself and pats my jaw shut. Finally, she begins what she always does. She rises from the bed and begins caressing my body.

I'd like to say it's sexual to make things easier and make more sense, but the touches really aren't. It's more like a healer making sure their patient is healthy. I begged her in the first few "sessions" to explain to me what she was doing. She'd just given me vague details like "preparing me" and "seeing if I was worthy". Occasionally, she'd bring other girls or boys into the room with me.

Each one had some deformity similar to the curl that accompanies my back whenever I walk. Twisted legs, busted hips, and shattered feet were all signs that my back injury was me getting off easy. Another sign of me getting off easy was I was always the one who lived. Eventually, the children stopped coming with me and the touching became more extensive. Suddenly, the woman stops while she's digging her fingers into my scalp. She whispers a word she's never whispered before.

" _Perfect_.". Her fingers come down to dig harshly into my chest. Once again, the touch isn't sexual. Rather, she's digging her nails into my skin to feel my heart beating beneath my breast. I close my eyes. The pain of her nails digging into my skin isn't nearly as bad as the agony that's gone from my back, so I take the opportunity to enjoy being in relatively little pain. The woman ignores me and begins moving her fingers further south. My legs are gently spread and I'm felt up.

When my suffering first began, I prayed to all the divines in turn to either free me by killing the Orc or-later, when things got worse-killing me. The holy are deaf within these walls and my suffering always continued, so I don't bother calling to them as my genitals and thighs are checked for anything that could disqualify me from surviving. I know the woman will find everything in perfect order and not spare me. Sure enough, when her fingers are removed the woman straddles my waist and brings her decaying, freezing fingers up to rest on either side of my face. Her smile's almost sweet when I finally look at her face. Her voice is softer than I've ever heard it before as she whispers something she's never said.

" _You're it_.". My heart clenches and, against my better judgement, I move to sit up and attack the woman. Pure agony rolling down my back causes me to tense and collapse back onto the bed. The Orc doesn't seem to mind my attempt at rising, but she doesn't do anything to stop the tears streaming out of me both because of the pain and because of the terror consuming me. Always, without fail, the woman would straddle me with a frown and say "Almost.". before calling her guards to drag me away screaming back to my cage. My terror, however, will be dwarfed in a few days when the guards _do_ come for me. Though, that's only because they take me to the basement instead of my cage.

* * *

I wake up screaming with my back going into a spasm harder than any it's had before. Instantly, Sapphire is at my side. I grab onto my squire's shoulders and squeeze with all my might. The woman hisses in pain, but gets the idea and begins pulling me from my bed. I close my watering eyes as I attempt to walk while leaning heavily on Sapphire. She is back in the sense of a heavy presence weighing on me.

 _I didn't forget! I'll do it, just make it stop!_

My pain flees at once, but She remains. Slowly, I open my eyes and see Sapphire looking at me with her face twisted in concern. I pull my claws from her bright clothes and take a step back. I take a few deep breaths and wipe the tears from my eyes. Sapphire has been my rock in this trying time. She didn't question me about the murder or why I went into a rage. She even found my wedding rings when they fell from the thieving smith's hands.

I was shocked when my complete guess was right, but thankful for Sapphire's support nevertheless. However, now I need my squire once again. The smith had a family and I saw his daughter on the way into town. A daughter means a wife to bear her and, hopefully, a brother or sister to play with. Three lives ripe for the taking just across the road. All I need is Sapphire to stand with me and we can put this entire incident behind us. I look Sapphire in the eyes as I beg.

"Help me.". There's no hesitation in her heart as she nods. I weep.


	14. Hands That Shed Innocent Blood

_A Few Feet Behind the Dovahkiin..._

 _I'm following an insane murderer into someone's home to help her murder them. Then, because she's nuttier than a squirrel she's going to murder me. I've escaped Riften only to be killed by some holy knight that's gone off her rocker for some reason._

Somehow, my mantra doesn't quiet my churning gut as I follow the woman across the street to a house with the forge attached to it. The holy fighter I _thought_ I knew is apparently crazier than Sheogorath himself. When I finally made it over to the forge and heard their argument about the ring there was hardly anything I could do. The knight just started howling like a wild beast and beat the poor man to death with her bare hands. Oblivion, I was lucky she believed the lie about finding the rings in his hand or else she might've killed _me_ next.

Then, things only got worse. I couldn't contain my curiosity about the woman any longer. I'm a trained thief for a reason and, luckily, I was able to sneak across the river and watch what she did. I heard her talking to herself for a solid five minutes before she proved how crazy she was and _ate someone's heart_. It's one thing to murder someone, but it's another to eat their corpse. Holy knights kill people all the time and, if they repent, murderers can willingly join their ranks. Cannibalizing someone is just sick, though. And, the Khajiit hasn't said a word about it.

When I sneaked back to the inn I expected her to explain what happened. Instead, she just showed up with Sif at her side, hugged me when I gave her the rings back, and went to bed. Now I'm helping her commit another murder for some reason. I want so badly to help whoever she's after. Thieving is fine, but killing is crossing a line. However, I can't. The Khajiit is still the best bet for my freedom-especially considering I don't give a damn if I steal from her now-and standing up to her is likely to get me killed. So, when the Khajiit knocks on the door I don't do anything to stop it. A pale woman with auburn hair and spring-colored eyes wearing peasant's clothes opens the door for us.

The lines on her face attest to the fact she's noticed her husband's absence. The knight's as clever mad as she was when she was sane. She's come dressed in her finest robes with her sword that has the Knights of the Eight sigil on it. To the peasant she probably looks like a holy woman come to give her news about her husband. Sure enough, the Khajiit plays it exactly like that.

"Ma'am, do you have a moment? I'd like to speak to you about your husband in private.". The peasant doesn't even hesitate. She steps backwards and holds the door open for the woman who's going to murder her.

"Please, come in.". The knight enters and I follow her with a stone where my heart should be.

"Dorothy!". The peasant yells for someone as she leads us to a table filled with food that's meant for three. I take a chair beside the knight and look around the room. Comfortable, soft pelts line the walls and floors of the modest room with a fire burning in the hearth and a stairway leading downward. It's nice if not a little conservative for my taste. My heart clenches as a child and dog rush up from the stairs.

 _She's going to kill them_.

I look over to the knight as I feel hatred beginning to form in my heart. The woman's ears are flattened and she's glaring at the dog for some reason. Suddenly, _something_ is pressing down on the back of my skull. A voice just like the Khajiit's fills my head.

 _Will you accept the dog?_

I shudder and feel my eyes growing wide. My entire body is tense and shaking as that _something_ keeps pressing. Another voice as smooth as a mother's lullaby speaks next.

 _Yes._ I force my eyes away from the Khajiit and _instantly_ the _something_ is gone. Slowly, I reach up and press the back of my head. Nothing.

 _Am_ I _going insane?_

My spine begins to tingle at the thought. Clearly, _something_ is going on here. The Khajiit is hearing voices and, suddenly, I am. There _has_ to be something going on. That something, however, proves useless because the Khajiit puts her plan into action. She rises and motions for the child and mother to come closer to her.

The two lambs comes closer to the lion without a tremble or baa. She slaughters them. The knight begins explaining how she's looking into the man's disappearance and how sorry she is he's gone. Then, she pulls her sword out to "show them what will be used to bring your husband and father back to you". Then, she brings the father back to the mother and daughter. Only not how they wanted. The child's the first to go. I cringe and look away. It's not enough. I see the blade cleave her neck in two and blood come gushing out.

The mother can't even respond before the blade's filling her belly. The dog's the final one to go. He rushes to see why his owners are on the ground, then gets a sword to the head for his loyalty. My gut wrenches and heart aches. I never could've stopped her. I rise from my seat and walk over to the Khajiit who's still standing above her mess.

"Alright, they're dead. Can we go?". She shakes her head and kneels. I try not to watch, but the _cracks_ and _crunches_ that follow can't be blocked out. A child, dog, and woman's heart go into the Khajiit without so much as a heave or cough. When she stands she's covered in blood from the crown of her head to the tips of her heels. I look the murderer in the face and open my mouth. I try to keep the venom from my voice. I fail miserably.

"Care to tell me why you just murdered a family?". Her eyes become to grow moist and her ears flatten to her skull. I'm unmoved.

"I had to.". I sneer and her tears begin to fall. Once again, I'm unmoved as she keeps going.

"I suppose you want to know why? You have a right to know.". Anything she says will never justify what's been done. Still, my curiosity gets the better of me. I want to know what would make this woman of honor turn into a crazed murderer.

"Fine, tell me.". Suddenly, the room becomes darker. I look around and see the lights themselves have begun to dim. I look back at my former friend. Somehow, her pelt seems to grow dark and her pupils begin to dilate. My heart starts to race and my palms become slick. She looks just like she did when she killed the blacksmith. Thankfully, the crazed words out of her mouth aren't the ones that mean my doom.

"I have a Daedra Prince or Divine following me. She whispers to me what she wants me to do, and if I don't do it she'll hurt me. Or she'll make me hurt more people than if I just do what she wants.".

 _Well, hello insanity._

I cock my head to the side and take a step towards her. Suddenly, a scratching at the door causes me to jerk. I relax once Sif pushes through and the door _clicks_ shut behind him. The wolf must have woken up and seen his mistress gone. I turn back to the woman. Provoking the insane isn't smart, but I can't help it. Watching her murder a child's gotten to me.

"Prove it.". Shockingly, she doesn't go into a fit or attack. Instead, she begins _nodding_.

"That's fair enough. You deserve to have proof.". The woman closes her eyes, brings her clasped hands to her chest, and begins praying. I cross my arms and shift my weight onto my right hip.

 _This woman's going to go crazy and start having a fit or something_.

What happens is worse. Her hands slowly come down to her sides and her wide, watery eyes lock onto mine. Her voice is quiet as she speaks.

" _You're not Sapphire._ ". I begin to panic. She must've found out somehow and now she's fucking with me. The woman, shockingly, continues. With each thing she says my spine tightens and I feel the hairs on the back of my neck raise.

"You're named Vex. You're a thief from Riften who joined the Thieves Guild ten years ago. A man named Delvin thinks you're beautiful. Mercer is lying to you, he's the reason the entire guild is going under. The real Sapphire betrayed you with Delvin and pinned a murder on you. You think I'm arrogant and foolish. You planned on robbing me and leaving at Whiterun. You took my wedding rings, took them over to the local merchant, and got them translated. He overcharged you. You rooted through my bags to find out about me. You'd planned on getting me a potion to let me have a dreamless sleep to keep my nightmares away when we arrived in Whiterun. You find me disgusting for murdering the child. My god let you hear us talk about the dog. You've heard enough to know what I'm telling you is true.".

She stops talking. Slowly, the candles in the room become brighter and the Khajiit's fur becomes its normal shade. I'm stuck in the exact same position I was in when she started talking. If she'd said one of those things, then I would've have believed her. But there's no way in oblivion the knight could know all of that. For fuck's sake, she knew names I'd never told her and a few of my thoughts I'd never spoken aloud! Slowly, I manage to open my jaw. My entire body feels cold and my spine is completely stuck. The supernatural always creeps me out, but knowing the knight has someone talking in her head is beyond that. Suddenly, the woman's lip begins to quiver and her ears lower even more. Her big, watery eyes are overflowing as she whimpers at me.

" _You lied to me._ ". That snaps me out of it. I shake my entire body to chase away the chill of the supernatural. Then, I snap at her.

"You lied to me!". Her lip quivers even more.

"It's different.". I cock my head a little more. Somehow, I don't believe it.

"How?". Sif nuzzles his mistress' hand as her voice cracks while speaking to me.

"I would've still taken you with me if you hadn't lied. You would've left if I told you I hear someone in my head.". I sigh. That's actually pretty true. The knight's lonely enough and kind enough she still would've taken me with her if I'd told her I needed help and explained everything. I bring my hands to my head and rub my temples. It shouldn't, but my heart breaks for this woman. Knights having to overcome demonic possession isn't anything new, though I don't think a knight's ever faced a possession from a Daedra Prince themselves. I mean, she said it could be a Daedra Prince or a Divine, but this is clearly a Daedra Prince. The Divines don't demand their followers eat human hearts.

I look at the sobbing woman who's busy rubbing her puffy eyes. There's more to this story that I don't know; however, my heart is still broken for her. She's a good and kind person. She has her flaws, but now I know why. Being possessed by a Daedra Prince is going to make you want to feel powerful and important. Why wouldn't it? When you have a Prince whispering to you that you're weak, then being told you're strong is going to feel amazing. She murders people to keep the Prince down, but I know I'd do the exact same thing. Eternal torment with the possibility of killing more people isn't exactly the "winning" outcome in this situation. Still, I need to know more before I can travel-and hopefully help-this woman.

"You're right, it's different. I shouldn't have lied to you. But I still need to know a little more about your god. Can you tell me more about this?". She nods and motions for me to follow her. I exit the bloody house with my heart thundering inside my ears.


	15. Pride Crushed

The Khajiit kneels beside the river and begins stripping. We've only gone a few steps from Riverwood, but the knight assures me "She" says it's safe. I don't exactly trust "Her", though I suppose it makes sense She wouldn't want her puppet to get caught and killed after years of work. As I watch, I can already see the writing on the woman's body that tell of her story. Her back is a mass of raw, scarlet meat with lines of white running through it like a marbled steak. As she moves I can see the red bending and flexing with her. Suddenly, it makes sense she only wears robes. A skinned back would cause agony in anything more. I'm not sure if it's scarred or still aching, but my heart goes out to her no matter what.

The next sign of her pain is when she begins washing the blood from her pelt. Water dribbles down her next and parts the thick mane of hair usually covering her skin. Raised red bumps reveal where she's been burned. I'm not quite sure what a skinned back and burned neck would mean, so I try to keep from speculating. Besides, I'll learn about her past soon enough. It takes the woman a few minutes to wash herself clean of blood and when she turns around she's soaked. The touch of her god becomes even more prominent. Her muscles are tremendous and tight enough that a mortal could spend their entire life tolling away and never get close to her might.

Further proof of her unnatural abilities is the fact her muscles-while impressive-aren't positioned in ways they'd prevent her from fighting or running. Rather, the woman before me looks perfectly sculpted to run people down and beat them to death with her bare hands. The daggers twitching from her digits prove that's what She had in mind when she formed the knight. Once again, my heart begins to ache.

 _Was she always like this? Did She touch the knight the second she came from the womb, or did She wait until later before corrupting my friend?_

I'll get my answer soon enough. The knight picks her bloody robes up and traps them beneath a rock in the water. Then, the naked woman turns towards me and sits down. Sif, who went to hunt according to his mistress, soon sits down beside her. I follow their lead and take a seat so I'm sitting right in front of the knight. The woman offers me a small smile before asking me an obvious question.

"What do you want to know? I'll tell you anything. I promise.". I try to think of a nice way to say what I want. I want to know how this woman came into contact with her god, who knows about her contact, and what her contact means. Oblivion, I actually want to know more than that. Finally, I find a way to tell her what I want.

"I want to know everything.". She offers me the same small smile from before and nods her head.

"I'll tell you. Just don't expect to be happy by the end of it.".

* * *

 _A Few Feet from Vex..._

"My father and I had bid my brother and mother farewell barely an hour ago when the bandits attacked. We were in the thick of the woods looking for some ruin or something when they seemed to appear out of nowhere. My father was one of the best knights in the order, but not even he could take on twenty bandits by himself. My father had been riding with me walking beside him and when the battle started he'd screamed for me to run. I couldn't. I froze like a coward. I'd sat there in my tracks as frightened as a babe. All I could do is watch as the bandits swarmed my father and hacked him and his horse to pieces.".

"My most vivid memory of that day was how his amulet-one of Talos before worshiping him was banned-rolled to my feet. The last thing I did as a free woman was kneel down and pick up the last bit of my father. That's when the bandits fell upon me like a pack of hounds upon a rabbit. I'd expected to be killed. Oblivion, I _deserved_ to be killed for sitting by and watching my knightly father dying without so much as lifting a finger. Instead, three of them held me down as their leader came to me. She was an Argonian with cracked, grey scales and cloudy eyes. Her bones even _popped_ as she crouched down to look at me. I'll never forget the pure terror that pulsed through me as she put her face an inch away from mine and scoffed.".

"I don't remember much of the bandits, but I always remember what the Argonian had said. "Don't kill her. We need the mother.". I'd howled and kicked and screamed as they forced me away from my father-who I couldn't admit was dead at the time regardless of the fact his motionless corpse was gushing blood-and into some cage meant for dogs. I'd spend the next year that way. The bandits were waiting for my mother to come and rescue me. Only-according to Nair-my mother didn't start looking for me until six months after my father and I left. Apparently, that "week of searching a ruin" my father promised me was actually a ruse to surprise me with five months of knight training.".

"Even the bandits didn't know that. That's why each day they'd shoved my cage out into the open and wait. Then, when my mother didn't come, they'd pull me from my haven and beat me until I couldn't move. The fools somehow thought I was warning my mother away. The only mercy was one bandit. He was a Bosmer covered in scars and bald who was barely older than me. He gave me more food besides the bowl of soup I was given daily and, rarely, he's sneak me out of my cage to stretch my limbs without getting beaten. He even tried to free me once. I got caught and both my legs were broken, but it was the fact he tried to let me go that counted.".

"I even swore to him that when my mother came I'd take him back with me. Near the end, I even like to think we were friends. He'd spend hours just sitting beside my cage and talking to me to try to take my mind off the constant pain I was in. It didn't work, but, once again, it's the thought that counts. I was thankful he survived when my mother finally found me. She came riding in by herself and managed to do what my father couldn't. She killed nineteen of the bandits and-after I screamed at her to spare him-let my friend run off into the woods. She'd pulled me from the cage with a tremendous wound in her side and took me into her waiting arms. In that moment, my heart soared and I can never replicate the high I felt that day when I realized I was safe. Only I wasn't.".

" _She_ told me later that Her followers had bought my mother from the bandits. The bandits lied and said they had my mother when, in reality, they still only had me. That didn't stop them from selling my mother. A bandit scout had seen my mother coming and sent word to Her followers to come and get my mother. Only my mother died by the time they got there. The cut in her side severed something and I watched my own mother bleed to death in my arms. Her last act was to give me her Amulet of Kynareth and tell me how much she loved me after telling me how to get to safety.".

"I never made it. I barely stood up on shaking legs with an aching back when Her followers came and surrounded me. The Orc leader who'd make my life a living oblivion for years to come saw the destruction and was able to piece together what happened. She'd ridden forward on her decaying, diseased horse before pointing her sword of bone at me and asking the question that decided whether I lived or died. "Are you this woman's squire?". I'd nodded. I'm still not quite sure why. Maybe I didn't want to die. Or maybe I just didn't want the woman knowing I wasn't actually my mother's squire and was instead my father's.".

"Regardless, the woman put her sword up and gave her followers one command. "Get her.". There wasn't a single Orc among them who hesitated. Once again, I was the rabbit and they were the dogs. The leader took me and laid me across her lap before beginning the journey back to her castle. Even today, I can't remember the way to the castle and She won't tell me. She assures me I don't need to know because only "bad things" are at the castle. But that's not what's important right now. What's important is what happened inside the castle when I was a child. She tells me Her followers needed a knight to complete the ritual that bonded Her to me. If I'd been a knight, then Her and I would have an even stronger bond.".

"But I was a squire. And, after years of torture and abuse at the hands of the Orc leader, the Orc leader decided I was worthy enough to perform the ritual to bring Her into me. When She was in me, I was suppose to return to the Order of the Eight and become a full knight. Only the ritual didn't go the way it was suppose to.".

I shudder before going deeper into my story.

* * *

My flesh is chapped and aching when the Orc leader leads me down into the basement. I've been down here before. The tortures and beatings that follow always cause me to beg and plead with them to slit my throat. Only today's different. Today I'm naked when they bring me into the large, circular, and barren chamber at the bottom of the castle. A large, iron tub is set up in the middle. A statue of Her-which can only be described as utterly terrifying and twisted-is standing above the tub with a upturned bucket in Her hands dangling above the tub. Orc followers surround the tub with one empty spot for the leader. Lovingly, the woman takes me into her arms.

Her filth and disease cause my nose to turn up, but I don't fight her. Her carrying me is taking pressure off my back and reliving the ache in my joints. I look up into her disgusting, nauseating face and offer her a small smile like I know she likes. She smiles back and, gently, kisses me between the eyes with cold and dead lips. I'm placed into the freezing metal tub onto my back with the crown of my head resting against the edge of the tub closest to where the leader's feet are. My body's straight with my feet resting in the middle of the circle. I know what's in store for me, but something's different today. Four of the Orcs kneel down and use chains from the sides of the tub to _click_ me into place.

My heart begins speeding up and my throat tightens. Something's different today. The Orcs have never restrained me before. The second difference is what they bring before me. Always, rabbits and birds and-occasionally-dogs have been brought before me before having their throats slit and their blood poured over me. It took hundreds or rabbits and birds and fifty or so dogs to fill the tub, but the animal today can fill it it one go. The gigantic, ivory bull looks down at me with gentle and trusting eyes.

I've always forced myself to watch as the rabbits and birds and dogs are cut open for my sake, but I can't bring myself to watch this gentle giant die. I close my eyes as the Orc leader cuts his throat. I keep my eyes closed, but open my mouth as I've been taught as the blood washes over me. The familiar feeling and taste of hot, sticky blood pouring over me is almost welcome. Slowly, the tub is filled and I begin floating in the bull's warm life. Finally, the Orcs begin to do what they always do. Dozens of hands come to grip the side of the tub as they kneel at the edge of the tub. I've memorized their chant by now, but I ignore it as I do my best to swallow the rich, thick blood still clogging my mouth.

"Oh She, the greatest of the greats. We offer this now to you to receive as we give. O She, accept our offering and take her as your own. Rend the flesh from her bones and marrow from her joints. Destroy her and rebuild her as your own.". Hundreds of times they've said this prayer. Never before has their been a response. The chill that settles around the room and darkness that engulfs the castle is enough to cause the Orcs to howl in pure delight. Slowly, blood begins to leak from the pitcher in Her hands.

I'm not sure what I expected to happen when the new blood hit the tub, but the rage that fills me isn't what I'd intended. Already, I can tell why the Orcs bound me. A tight feeling of anger rises and cooks inside of me until I'm yanking on my restrains and screaming. The ache in my back is long forgotten as I struggle to get out of the tub to beat the people who've caused me such pain to death. If I'd stayed in the tub for the full amount of time-the Orcs hands and spell being what was keeping the chains strong-She would have been completely inside me. We would have merged as one and I would have become She and She would have become me. The feeling of being with Her was already bad enough _without_ the ritual being complete.

The endless rage boiled and churned inside of me as I felt the fury of being bound and gagged for thousands of years and the indignity of relying on mere mortals to free me from my prison. Then, I felt the humiliation of being chained again as the Orc who swore to free me from my trapped form forced me into a sack of meat and bones. Then, Her and I broke as the spell failed. Adventurers who'd heard of the situation-the Knights of the Eight were growing desperate and put out a bounty for my or my body's return-and charged in since the Orcs failed to establish a guard to watch over them as they performed the ritual to bind Her in flesh and make Her their tool.

When they entered the chamber the Orcs had two choices. They could either attempt to rush the ritual that would have taken a few more hours to complete with the chance of destroying my body and freeing Her, or abandon to ritual and let whatever happens happen. They abandoned the tub and let what happened happen. What ended up happening was the six adventurers slaughtering all but one of the Orcs. The leader had the power to change her shape and changed into a rat to escape into the walls. What happened to me was worse. Her and I blended. Only we didn't fit together right. She tried to force her form into mine and meld us together like people making love when one's too much taller than the other.

I'd expected melding with Her would hurt. Instead, I was filled with ecstasy. I'd moaned and writhed and howled in pleasure as she forced herself inside of my mind and body. It was only when the adventurers pulled me from the tub that She finally began using me. I was still moaning in gratification as I slaughtered them like pigs. New strength and speed filled my mortal vessel as my injuries disappeared like they'd never been there. All six of them fought with all the strength they had. For that, She let them keep their hearts. I ate the Orcs hearts, though. I ate them until my stomach was bulging and bits were filling my teeth. Then, She left me without a word or feeling. Finally, my body and mind were my own again. I was free.

I cried before leaving the castle naked and still covered in blood. I cried for the adventurers I slaughtered and the Orcs that believed whatever lies their leader told them. If I'd been smart I would have searched the adventurers to find anything useful on them. Only I was still a child and just wanted to get home. She didn't help me. Instead, Kynareth did. At least, I like to _think_ Kynareth did. She tells me the gods don't care about me, but I know not to trust Her when it comes to the matter of religion. It was the middle of the night and I was collapsed in the brush when I was found by my savior.

Fenrir dwarfed Sif's even in his adult form. Her head is about the size of my entire adult body and, if she'd put her mind to it, she could engulf my child body in her mouth. Oblivion, if she'd decided to eat me I'd have been more than a small snack. But Fenrir didn't eat me. She'd lifted me from my hiding spot as gently as a gigantic wolf can manage and took me back to her home. That's where I met her only surviving pup-who was the size of an adult wolf already-and the only other giant wolf I'd ever see: Sif.

His eyes and ears were closed when I'd arrived, but by the time disaster would strike he'd be three times the size of a normal wolf with swords for teeth and daggers for claws. Fenrir raised Sif and me for as long as she could. "Raising" meant bringing me deer the size of mammoths and allowing me to wander away from her den for water.

I'm not sure why, but I stayed with Fenrir and Sif for months. I even managed to get one of Sif's dead sibling's jawbone as a reminder of my time. Then, Sif's father returned. I never saw him for myself, but the earth shook at his approach and his howl was louder than thunder. Obviously, whatever type of wolf Sif and Fenrir are doesn't act like normal wolves. Normal wolves don't fight the ones they have sex with. Though, I could be wrong and whatever killed Fenrir wasn't actually Sif's father. I only think it is because I can't imagine more than two gigantic wolves living in the same area.

Regardless, Fenrir died that night. The wolf with a howl like thunder left and Fenrir never returned. I didn't search for her corpse, but she'd never abandon Sif. That's when She talked to me for the first time. She told me to take Sif and leave. I'd feared I was going mad, but I followed Her. She led me out of the woods where gigantic creatures roam and directly into the path of a Knight of the Eight expedition that was looking for me. I was brought home in tears with Sif carrying me on his back. I reunited with my brother at the orphanage at the Knights of the Eight's Abby. He became a priest while I followed the path of the warrior. But first, She demanded I make a sacrifice before giving myself to the Eight.

I hunted down the bandit who helped me, tortured him, and killed him. The only reason She didn't make me rape him was because I begged her to give me a different task. Instead, I ate his heart. Then, She left. I grew up normal. I had my mind and body back. I trained to be a knight, lived a normal life, and thought I was pulling my own way. Only there were things I wouldn't notice. Sins I'd commit along the way at Her secret urging in order to please her. Finally, I was caught the night before I became a knight. I'd waited to offer Her a soul for too long. I became sick and dying. The cleric who came to heal me was a young woman. I smashed her skull in and ripped her heart out of her throat.

The Knights of the Eight had me tell them everything I'd ever done over a period of five days. In the meantime, my brother was made an official priest. My final pain was going through a "purification" to rid me of Her. It didn't work. She took over and I almost killed the man and woman who adopted Nair and I after our parents' deaths. So, they sent me to Skyrim to learn to be humble and overpower Her. Now I'm here telling Vex about being a slave to Her.

* * *

Vex leans over to hug me. I don't stop her. That's how we spend the rest of the night.


	16. Wolfgang of Regensburg

We've only been riding for Whiterun (Riverwood's been warned of the knights coming, but now Whiterun needs to be) for a few minutes when I have to tie Lucky's reins to Cupcake's saddle. Lucky's always been a good boy, but Vex is too tired to keep controlling him. _She_ gave me one final gift before departing my mind fully: enough energy I feel as if I've slept through the entire night rather than sit by a river. But now She is gone and I'm me again. Already, I'm feeling the effects. My heart is burning and I've written the names of the family I killed in the book of my "squires". I'll draw down their likenesses later when I have the chance. What happened in Riverwood needs to stay in Riverwood, though.

 _She_ made me kill those innocence, I had nothing to do with it. Resisting a Daedric Prince that can invade your mind is something even my parents wouldn't have been able to do. Besides, I need to focus on my mission. The Knights of the Eight promised me if I learn the lesson I need to learn, the She won't have any control over me. Still, that doesn't help the aching in my chest and the guilt gnawing on me. My only comfort is Vex. I can't read her mind like She let me back in Riverwood anymore, but I trust the woman. I saw into her heart and I know she won't betray me as long as I continue acting like a knight. I even know to tone down my personality a little around her now. For a while, I allow myself to keep telling myself the lies of how I'll get better and defeat Her with the help of Vex somehow. Then, reality gets to me.

I don't have to consent to what She does to me, but if I truly didn't want it and fought as hard as I could She wouldn't be able to enter my mind and hurt me. I begin guiding Cupcake with one hand as I use my other to feel along the back of my skull. My ridge is still there. She is still with me. She might not even be looking at me right now, but I know She is with me. She hasn't left because She knows I want this. There's a deep, throbbing ache in my very bones at the lack of Her. I feel weak and slow and dumb without Her in the back of my head giving me her strength. I've killed, fucked, and stolen for the sake of getting Her to give me the power I desire.

Already, I can tell I'm going to be doing something for Her in Whiterun. The temptation is too great. When the Knights of the Eight tried to purify me it took away my urge to use Her again, but after Riverwood the desire is back. The knights always knew I had a weak will, that's why they sent Nair with me. Nair was supposed to be my rock and guardian. Then, She got to me and I became paranoid. I pushed Nair away. Now all I have are Vex and Sif as I go to Whiterun with the urge to please Her still in me. I look over both of my shoulders. Vex is nestled down in Lucky's saddle and asleep with a deep scowl on her face. Sif is walking along with his completely normal eyes and demeanor.

I turn back forward and see we need to make a left turn to get to Whiterun. I begin guiding Cupcake with both hands as I take in a deep breath of chilling air. Slowly, I release it.

 _I can do this. Just use Vex and Sif as distractions until Nair gets here._

Indecision rips at my guts. A tight, rotten feeling fills my chest as I realize I stand at the precipice of the abyss between the summit all my loves and the crevice of all of my fears. For once, I have control. I can choose to give in and seek Her approval in Whiterun, or I can contain myself. I can put the chains back on my wrists and forcibly imprison myself like I was for so many years. Freedom lingers at the tip of my tongue before I realize this is it. This is the kind of challenge I was sent to Skyrim to face.

My heart tightens and a large part of me howls in rage as I put the leash back around my neck. If She forces me to serve Her there's nothing I can do to stop Her, but I'm not going to help Her. I'm not going to go groveling back at Her feet and beg Her to take me: not this time. I have Sif and Vex to keep me strong. And, if She should come calling, I'll make Her work for it. She will win in the end, though I won't have it said I went down without a fight. My resolve strengthens even as I _ache_ at the thought of remaining trapped in this sack of flesh and bones without godlike strength and speed to compel me.

Thankfully, my mind is quickly occupied as I approach the stables. I dismount Cupcake before gently waking Vex up. Cupcake and Lucky are smart enough to stay in one place, so I don't bother troubling the person who owns the stables to take care of them. And, if anyone tries to steal them Cupcake will just kick their teeth in. I pat my horse on the flank before turning to Vex. Sif, meanwhile, busies himself by wandering off. I give my wolf some advice as I watch him begin tracking something.

"Don't get shot!". He completely ignores me. Probably for the best considering most guards are twitchy about gigantic wolves entering a city. They might not be _thrilled_ about Sif wandering around the outskirts of their city, but my wolf can handle himself if they should decide to do something about him. Hopefully, Vex can handle herself to. I focus back on the woman before me and feel my ache begin to leave me. It's a slow, leeching process, but it's still going. I smile at Vex and make her an offer I should have made a long time ago.

"Do you want me to get you some new clothes and a dagger? I could even get you some lockpicks to do some thieving exercises if you'd like.". Vex's face flushes and she can't meet my eyes. The woman's probably just embarrassed I learned she was a thief through digging through her mind. I consider trying to dig around inside that head of hers again, but decide not to. The risks of trying without enough power outweigh any benefits. Besides, she deserves the privacy of her mind. She can't keep the small smile from her face as she looks at me, though.

"I think I like the sound of that.". I offer her a smile before turning and leading my friend up to Whiteurn. As we go, I remind her of something important now that I know she's a trained thief and not a jester.

"Don't get caught if you decide to steal something.". It's meant as a joke since I trust her not to steal and Vex, thankfully, takes it that way. A light, fluttering laugh is her response. The guards don't stop us as we enter the city, but I can see them eyeing us. I ignore their looks as I stop inside the city to turn to Vex. I hand over some of my gold to the woman and give her some advice.

"I need to go take care of some business with the knights. Find whatever you want and buy it. Trust me, the order gave me enough gold I could retire if I wanted to.". Vex practically drools at the tremendous sack of gold now in the palms of her hands. My friend's kind though and doesn't forget her manners.

"Thank you. I promise I won't waste it.". She looks at me with another genuine smile. For once, I allow the warmth in my heart to stay where it is. She's not lying or playing me. The feelings she's showing me are her own. Vex tells me one last thing before leaving.

"Meet me at the inn when you get the chance.". I depart with warmth still in my heart.

* * *

 _Across Whiterun..._

I'm sitting in the smoky, darkened inn at the bar when I find out how to help the knight that has someone living inside her head. I've been paying the barkeep for drinks for hours and talking to her the entire while. I'm downing a glass of thick, black beer when I ask her an idle conversation topic.

"Heard anything interesting going on around town? I'm planning on staying for a bit.". The woman-who told me she was named Hulda after a bribe of buying three beers from her-nods. Then, she leans in close and whispers to me. Her thick, honey-scented breath washes over me as she tells me what's going on.

"Been hearing some strange tales of the Jarl's children. Say the one's turning wicked, and the others have an ill-favored look to them. Best to keep clear.". I buy three more beers and down them as quick as I can. I've taken a potion to take some of the ache away from me tomorrow morning, so I don't mind having to fill myself to the brim to earn her favor again. When I'm finally full I dare to ask her more.

"Anything else about the Jarl's children?". Once again, her honeyed breath covers my face as she tells me what's what.

"Something dark is happening up there. You didn't hear this from me, but the one's _whispering_ to himself now.". I shudder and nod in thanks to her. I'm probably drunk by now, but I still now one thing: daedra. My friend's been hearing whispering inside her skull her entire life after those damned Orcs got her, and when she was murdering that smith she was whispering to herself the entire time. I don't think the same She that has my friend by the neck is controlling the boy, but it still sounds like a Daedric Prince has him. If I can find out more about this, then I might be able to do something only a drunken me would do. That is, make a deal with whatever Prince is up in the Jarl's palace.

I'll do whatever the Prince wants to both free the child-a good act-and get the name of whatever has my friend by the neck-a not so good act-by trading with the Prince. It's incredibly dangerous and the Khajiit would _definitely_ tell me not to fuck with Daedric Princes since she herself is the result of a deal with one, but I don't care. It's still a hunch, but I need to do _something_ to help the Khajiit. I know her and I know she's too kind to be able to carry a Prince around with her forever. She'll break one day and do something crazy and end up getting her throat slit.

She's become my friend and I don't think I can bear the thought of that happening to her. Besides, I'm not possessed by anything and Daedric Princes generally don't take that much interest in a mortal. Trading something with whatever's up in the palace for a name isn't a bad deal. That's why there's no fear in my heart as I push myself up from the bar and leave.


	17. Genesis 2:16-17

I'm halfway up the steps to Dragonsreach when I see the knight coming down the stairs. I know it's ridiculous, but I still feel the need to hide from her and surprise her with the knowledge I hope to gain. So, I step to the side at the next "turn" in the steps and duck behind a stone dragon that serves as a pillar. The knight walks by me without any incident and I wait to watch to make sure she gets to the inn okay. Finally, she's past the Wind District and goes down the steps into the Plains District. I push myself off the dragon and begin walking upwards towards the Jarl's palace.

The guards don't look pleased that I'm here (most likely because my steps are a little slow and heavy from the drinks), though they don't stop me. I step into the tremendous, grandly furnished hall that Jarl calls home. The man himself is sitting at the end of his hall in a wooden throne. A Dunmer stands to his left while what I think is a fellow Imperial stands to his left. I walk around the gigantic fireplace in the middle of the room and sloppily bow in front of Jarl Balgruuf. The man visibly cringes at my arrival and, to his left, his Dunmer guard begins preparing to fight by resting her hand upon her blade. I might be a little tipsy, but I'm not an idiot. I drop the one fact that might get me some cooperation from the Jarl.

"The Knights of the Eight sent me to discuss some unfinished business with you.". The Dunmer relaxes and the Jarl lets a sigh pass his lips. The man slouches further in his throne and speaks in a voice rough enough to cause my ears to _ache_.

"What does your mistress want _now_? Have we not given enough to her cause?". I'm not even going to pretend I know what he's talking about since that'll likely end in me being arrested. Though, some creative wording might help me.

"I wish to discuss the rumors of your "strange child". I fear that, from what I've heard, your boy has something wrong with him.". The elf tenses again as Balgruuf explains the situation to me. As he does, his eyes begin to water while he pushes himself as low as he can go.

"Yes, my youngest son. He's a dark child. I don't know what to do with him. He was always a quiet lad, but lately... something has changed. He's become brooding. Violent. He won't say a word to me, but I don't know how I upset him. If you could speak to him. Draw out the truth. I would be immensely grateful.". Brooding and violent just like the Khajiit knight. I nod to the man and feel immense relief flood me. A part of me was afraid that my drunken state got me into this mindset that wouldn't lead to anything. Now, however, it appears I might have actually found something. I try to remain steady and straight as I tell the man what I'll do.

"I'll do all I can. Can you tell me where your youngest son is?". The Jarl points to his right towards a large, open door.

"Go through the kitchen and down the stairs to right. That's where the children's room is. He should still be in bed.". I bow once again before stumbling off to where he pointed. I wander through the gigantic, fully-stocked kitchen, down the stairs, and a little to the right. The children's room is a small outcrop with three beds and a small amount of "amusement" furnishing such as desks and tables full of toys. I begin looking at the children and decide upon which boy looks the youngest. I shake the child awake and step back as he grumbles to his feet. The child looks up at me with wide, crusty eyes without saying a word. First, I check to make sure I have the right boy.

"Are you your father's youngest son?". He nods. Slowly, I kneel down until we're face-to-face. I use my hands to speak a little to try to put him at ease as I talk.

"Your father said that there have been some rather odd things going on with you. He sent me to talk to you.". Instantly, his eyes go as crazed as the Khajiit's when she murdered that smith in Riverwood. I tense and prepare for a fight as he speaks. I've seen the kind of strength She can give and I wouldn't put it past Her to use a child to murder. Thankfully, the boy doesn't attack. What he says to me is horrifying and freezes me on the spot, but he doesn't attack me.

"So the disgusting pig sent you to bother me? One day, I'll tear his face apart so he can leave me alone.". I find myself frozen with an awkward half-smile on my face as I continue listening to this clearly possessed child speak.

"My father doesn't know anything about me. But I know about him. And about the war. More than he might think.". Alright, I need to be careful. I just have to pull the proper information from him without angering whatever's inside his head.

"What sorts of things?". The Khajiit was able to know things about me I've never told her along with my thoughts. Oblivion, she even knew who was destroying the Thieves Guild. If the boy knows something like her, then it's definitely a Daedric Prince inside the boy. A Daedric Prince I can work with. The boy tells me exactly what I want to hear.

"I know that he still worships Talos. That he hates the Thalmor almost as much as the Stormcloaks do. That he worries about being chased from Whiterun. That he... that I'm... that I don't have the same mother as my brother and sister.". Perfect. I now have some dirt of the Jarl while also assuring there's a Prince inside this boy. Wonderful. Now I just need to see if I'm dealing with the Prince directly through the boy, or if there's someone else that'll set me up. I try to remain calm as I ask the vital question.

"How do you know these things?". The boy's eyes slowly lose a bit of their rage as he tells me how he knows so much. Thankfully, it's not like the Khajiit.

"This castle is old. Lots of places nobody's been in a long while. Places where you can overhear things. See things.". Okay, it's not like the Khajiit at all. It actually sounds like it might not be Daedric.

"And the Whispering Lady.". Well, shit. A whispering woman is exactly what the Khajiit hears inside her head. Hopefully, it's not the same one. I doubt She would take too fondly to be contacting Her just to tell Her to fuck off.

"Who's the Whispering Lady?". The boy's eyes return completely to normal as he answers me.

"She won't tell me her name. I've gotten good at listening to keyholes. At the door in the basement, I hear her talking to me. I thought I was caught, but she started telling me even more secrets. But I can't open the door.". Alright, this doesn't sound too bad. A Daedric Prince that needs to hide behind a door and use a child is weak. Weak enough to make a deal with a mortal that won't end up with me dying.

"Where is this door?". The boy's eyes begin to slide shut.

"It's behind you to the right in that smaller room attached to this one. Trust me, you'll see it when you go through. I bet she'll talk to you, too.". The boy turns and slides back into his bed without another word. I turn around and rush a little forward and to the right. The door I open leads to a small, cramped storage room that's long like a hallway leading to my right. I carefully walk through the small space until I reach the door. It's splattered in thick, dark blood and made out of rotten wood. My heart begins to race and my throat tightens. It's only the drink in my stomach and the Khajiit in my head that makes me kneel down and place my ear to the keyhole. A loving, sweet voice fills my head.

"At last. I've been waiting for someone more fit to carry out my will. The child is spirited, but lacks.. agency.". My spine shudders as the feminine voice fills my head. I try to keep my voice calm as I tell the extremely dangerous Daedric Prince what I want.

"I don't care about agency. You know why I'm here and what I want. Just tell me what to do and it'll be done, then I want the name of who's inside my friend's head.". For a moment, silence. Then, a high-pitched laugh fills me. I struggle to breathe as my eyes begin to lose focus. Finally, the laugh stops and I return to normal as the Prince tells me what she wants.

"Find the key to open this door. Inside, my finest weapon awaits. Claim the weapon and make sure your friend receives it, then I'll tell you who's inside your friend.". I pat the bloody, freezing door and assure the Prince I'll do whatever she wants.

"I'll get the key. Be ready to tell me who's doing what.". Finding the key I need is almost too easy. The Jarl is the most important man in Whiterun, so it's not surprise he has it on him. All I have to do is stand around in the Jarl's throne room enough until his housecarl and steward leave. Then, when he's leaving for his room I just trail behind him and lift the key off him. Something so easy that leads to my goal is suspicious at best, but I can't and don't question it.

The door is silent as I approach it. I kneel and put my ear to the keyhole. Silence. I slowly stand and stick the key inside. A _click_ is all it takes to release this Prince's rage unto the world. The empty, stone room inside has a single table in it. A tremendous ebony katana rests on the wood with a book beside it. Briefly, I hesitate. Giving this weapon to the Khajiit _might_ be a bad idea. Then, I realize how ridiculous I'm being. A weapon is only as evil as its wielder. The Khajiit will know how to tame and use its power. Besides, if this go sour I'll just take the blade from her. Finding out the name of who's inside the knight is more important than anything else. I pick the blade up and wait. Nothing. I wait some more. The feminine voice causes me to shudder.

"You've only done half of your bargain. The second it's in your friend's hands I'll tell you the name. Not before, though.". I sigh as the voice leaves me. Thankfully, the next part is even easier. I just put the weapon on my back and return to the inn after an uneventful walk. The Khajiit is waiting for me in a smoky, dark corner of the inn at a table meant for three.

My friend rises when she meets me and her scarlet robes flutter as she sticks her arms out. I don't hug her; instead, I hold the blade out to her. The woman takes it and, silently, begins examining it. Soon, her eyes are wide and she's looking and stroking the blade with what I can only describe as lust. She stops turning the blade around. She clutches the handle with one hand while running her claws down the length of it with the other. I bite my lip as I notice how similar her gigantic, ebony claws are to the blade currently in her hands. Suddenly, a feminine voice speaks inside my skull and, finally, I get the answer I've been chasing.

"Vaermina.".


	18. Consulting the Oracle

The Khajiit hasn't moved for a solid three minutes. She's just sitting at the end of our shared bed with her head in her hands and her elbows planted on her knees. I try to ignore the fact the Ebony Blade is securely strapped to her back. My friend finally moves. She runs her claws through her mane and looks up to look me in the eyes. The woman repeats what she's said for the thousandth time.

"It doesn't make _sense_. Vaermina has no reason to want me and, from my teachings, she doesn't normally act like this.". I agree with her completely. It's odd for Vaermina to mess with someone outside an occasional nightmare, but it makes sense if the evidence is looked at. The Khajiit suffers terrible nightmares, the Orcs that captured her sound like they're directly from someone's deepest fears, and the world the Khajiit has described sounds unreal. Gently, I try to repeat my argument to her.

"Things would be easily explained by an extended nightmare: your back was broken and somehow healed; the Orcs' castle can never be found and "She" can't lead you to it; and the Knights of the Eight managed to find you as soon as you left the forest where giants live. It makes sense!". The woman shakes her head. However, I can't defeat the one point she keeps bringing up.

"If it was all just a long nightmare Vaermina used me for, then what about Sif? I've _seen_ him tear people apart. A waking nightmare can't do that.". I also agree with that, but I need to convince the woman that it's Vaermina inside her head without telling her who gave me the Ebony Blade and told me it's Vaermina. If I can convince her of that, then she can begin fighting the Daedric Prince in a specific way.

"Maybe Sif was the only thing that's real. Maybe Vaermina sent him to return you to the knights. Remember, she _said_ she needed a knight to complete her ritual and free her. Oblivion, if you'd been knighted she might have been freed!". She falls silent and stares at the floor. The woman before me is truly my friend, but I need to convince her fully. I keep pushing by using all the facts I know about Vaermina.

"Vaermina is tied to torture. The Orcs, real or not, tortured you for _years_ and tortured animals in their rituals involving you. Yet, you don't appear over the age of thirty.". She frowns and I keep pushing using information she told me earlier in our conversation.

"You even _admitted_ the records the knights kept were flawed! You claimed you were missing for four or so years, but the records show from one to two years. Nair claims he can't remember anything and _thinks_ it was a long time, but that's because he was a child! If Vaermina had you in a deep sleep or trance, then it would explain why you're so young. It's because you were never really missing for four years! It was all in your head!". She thrusts her head back in her hands and begins furiously shaking it.

I know it's hard for her to accept. So far, I think everything after the bandits was a nightmare. I think the Orc that grabbed her just knocked her out or poisoned her or something to get her into a deep sleep. Then, everything that happened after that was a dream. I think she only escaped because Vaermina wanted her to escape to become a knight. Obviously, the knight disagrees. Vaermina is one of the more demonic Princes, but the Khajiit still doesn't think it's Vaermina in her head. Rather, she thinks it's Meridia or Namira. I don't know why, though she won't tell me. She just "has a feeling" about it. Ultimately, we end up arguing and debating against one another for hours on end.

She isn't willing to say her entire suffering was fake and I'm not willing to say it's real. The only good thing is neither of us go to bed with hurt feelings. This situation is complex enough that all angles need to be looked at and getting upset over it is pointless. We both retire to bed exhausted and defeated, but not mad at one another. I'm still wearing my shredded jester outfit as I turn towards the Khajiit. The woman's eyes are closed and she's already beginning to even out her breathing. She's changed into nightclothes and put her weapon in the corner. Gently, I rest my hand on her hip. I want her to have a night uninterrupted by nightmares. Knowing it's Vaermina inside her head, I doubt she'll get it. Still, I give her closeness as I drift away.

* * *

 _A Foot from Vex..._

I'm alone it my dream. Not the crushing, aching alone that I feel in real life, though. A comfortable alone. An alone I don't mind being. I'm lying naked on my back on some warm, sandy beach that's far too clean to be real. Above me, a grassy cliff looks down like a sentinel over me. Gently, cool water laps up the beach until it tickles my ankles, then retreats back to the ocean. My eyes can't move from the sky. Purples, blacks, blues, pinks, and-rarely-greens are swirling in a mass before me. The sparkling holes in the sky aren't there. Instead, it's just a swirling and constantly moving mass of colors. Slowly, I roll onto my stomach and let the moonlight shine down upon my back.

Sand doesn't stick to me and I'm comfortably warm regardless of the soft wind flowing through my mane. No aches or pains bother me. In this moment, I'm completely and utterly relaxed without a single stressful thought or worry to bother me. I continue basking in the supernatural light coming from the sky as the water and wind lap at me. I such in a deep, sweet breath and sigh just to hear my own noise. A loving, gentle pressure begins moving up and down my back in a light massage. My tail begins to stir as I slide my eyes close. Nothing could ever ruin the peace and happiness I have in this moment. Even the realization I'm in a dream doesn't ruin this for me.

Of course, dreams are never fully relaxing for me. There's always some torture or nightmare awaiting me. Oddly, the torment that comes doesn't attack right away. Rather, I feel the warm _huff_ of _something_ breathing on my head. My massage doesn't stop as I slowly look up at what awaits me. I expect to see the nightmarish woman I usually see in my nightmares. That's why I'm shocked at the animal looking at me. The brown bear is gigantic and towers over any bear I've ever seen, but he doesn't attack. He just sits there and stares. And stares. And stares. I'm getting uncomfortable when the animal finally acts. The bear dips his head down until he's sniffing at my hand.

I cringe and close my eyes tight. I've had dreams like this before and I already know what's going to happen: the bear's going to bite my hand off before slurping my arm's bone out of the wound. A rough, slimy tongue _slurps_ the back of my hand. I flicker my eyes open and see the bear's already turned around and beginning to walk away.

"That's it?". The bear ignores me and reaches the edge of the cliff. He shakes his ass a bit before beginning to climb the impossibly steep face of the rock.

"I'm not going to understand what you mean unless you tell me something!". The bear ignores me and the massage suddenly stops. I sigh as I realize my time's up.

* * *

The first thing I notice when I wake up is a new mark on my hand. My right hand has the shape of a bird in flight cut into the fur _exactly_ where the bear in my dream licked. I rub my fingers over the skin and realize what this means. Without hesitation, I roll onto my side and begin shaking Vex. The thief awakes like a startled dog and snorts as she slips around to look at me. Her hair's messed up beneath her jester's cap, but her eyes are alert enough I show her the bird on my face. Vex stares at it for a few seconds before answering.

"You shaved a bird into your fur?". I shake my head and realize a smile is splitting my face. I try to keep my voice calm as I look Vex in the eyes and explain it to her.

"I had a dream a bear licked my hand!". She continues staring and I realize I'll have to explain it to her since she doesn't realize the full extent of what I just told her.

"Kynareth is the goddess of nature and her symbol is a bird in flight!". Vex, understandably, looks skeptical. Though, she eyes the bird again and bites her lip.

"You _did_ sleep well last night.". She looks me in the eyes again.

"You really think this is a sign from Kynareth?". I nod with all my heart. Though, I don't know what the dream meant. Vex offers her best theory.

"Does that mean Vaermina _is_ the only controlling you? Vaermina controls nightmares and a good dream with Kynareth's symbol isn't something she'd do.". I shrug as I roll out of bed to put on my other pair of robes. I try to make sense of things. I've always identified Kynareth as my patron goddess since my mother did, and because of how I believe Kynareth saved me by sending nature to aid me after I escaped the Orcs' castle. All of the evidence, including the bird now on my hand, points towards Kynareth having a dog in this fight for some reason. Only I'm the dog in this scenario.

It also appears I'm the dog of Vaermina or some other Daedra as well. Somehow, none of this is comforting. The Divines can't interact with the people of Nirn as strongly as the Daedra can, so for Kynareth to come to me in a dream must have been an extreme use of her power. Divines using all of their power to send someone a message isn't generally a _good_ thing since it means that something serious is about to happen. I finish putting on my robes and turn to Vex as I come to a conclusion.

"I don't know what Daedra has a hold on me, but now I at least know there's _some_ Divine out there looking out for me. It means that I'm not alone in this fight.". Vex stands with a smile on her face. I don't stop my friend when she clasps me on the shoulder.

"That's what I like to hear. It's good to see something's going your way for once.". I offer her a smile back. We're still smiling when the door _cracks_ open.

* * *

 _An Inch from the Khajiit..._

"A bit dramatic, don't you think?". Nair hisses at his sister with his ears completely gone against his head and his eyes mere slits. I've already moved behind the woman for protection. Neither of the Khajiit shy away from one another. The knight just waits until Nair has closed his mouth to speak.

"Is there any particular reason you felt the need to break down the door instead of knocking for us to unlock it? I'm going to end up paying for that you know.". Slowly, Nair begins shaking his head while revealing his ivory fangs.

" _Don't you dare use that tone of voice with me!_ ". The woman in front of me scoffs which only gives her brother more fuel.

" _Do you know how long you've been gone?! How long I've been thinking you've fallen in some ditch and died?!_ ". The woman just scoffs again without offering a true response. My gut is beginning to tighten as I get the sneaking suspicion that She might have been at work longer than I though. What Nair says next finally draws a response from his sister. Nair's ears slowly pop up and his fur goes down as he stands tall to speak.

"That's it, it's over. We've going home and we'll find some other way to recruit soldiers.". I see the fur on the back of the knight's neck rise.

"Vex knows why we're really here and she's helping me. We don't have-". She's stopped by Nair pointing at something.

"What's that?". I follow his finger and see the Ebony Blade propped up in the corner. I answer without thinking.

"The Ebony Blade.". There's nothing I can do to stop Nair charging his sister.

* * *

 _Note: I'm going to begin going back to my "two stories every three days" scenario with "Denerim's Shadow" being updated on the weekends. More information coming soon. Just know that it'll likely be another Elder Scrolls story that's still in holding._


	19. Denial of Peter

It only takes once _crack_ across the Khajiit's unarmored jaw to send her reeling to the ground. Only her brother's there to catch her. It's not the most graceful catch and his knees buckle a little as he picks her up, but he still catches her. Nair is already breathing heavy from the "fight" coupled with the fact he's wearing his armor while trying to carry his sister. That makes it all the easier for me to grab the knight's blade and my own belongings before jogging beside him as he begins taking his sister to wherever he's taking her. I'm clearly not going to be able to fight Nair for the Khajiit, but if I'm lucky I can talk him out of taking her while running beside him.

"I know it looks bad-". He interrupts me. The dark man's voice has taken on a rough, gravely tone I _know_ he'd never use when speaking to his sister.

"It "looks bad"? _Bad_?!". Carefully, he turns his head to me to show me the true extent of his rage as he continues carrying his sister out of Whiterun. His ears are flat and his teeth are showing as he reveals how bad things were.

"I wake up to find my sister gone with her newest friend, so _I_ have to take over _her_ pilgrimage that's meant to save _her_ soul! Then, two hours later I get a guard from Riften that's been tailing us since the Rift to warn us we have a master thief and murderer hiding among us? Who is it? Oh, no worries, it's just the woman my sister's run off with in the middle of the night!". The knight begins drooping to one side and Nair is forced to stop. The man huffs and puffs as he struggles to get his sister back in his arms. I do my best to convince him to let me stay with his sister and let her stay in Skyrim. If the Khajiit were to go, then I'd be free to return to thieving. Somehow, I don't think I want that. A solitary thieve's life isn't something that appeals to me. Besides, the Khajiit isn't so bad to be around now that she's been humbled. Oblivion, she might actually be _fun_ to be around once she doesn't have a Daedra in her skull! So, I do my best to appeal to Nair.

"I _was_ a thief and murderer, but your sister's helped me! And, I've helped her with her _issue_.". Nair finally gets his sister settled in his arms. Thankfully, he stays where he is as he eyes me.

"You know _everything_ about her "issue"?". I nod.

"Alright, then how'd you help her?". I show him the Ebony Blade. Instantly, he's walking again. My heart stutters and I run to keep up with him. Once again, I do my best to convince him.

"Wait! It's true! The Ebony Blade told me what Daedric prince is inside your sister!". That gets him to stop, though I'm not sure if it's because he wants to know or because he doesn't want me yelling anything more about his sister. Either way, he turns around with the woman still dangling in his straining arms.

"Alright, I'll bite. What Daedric Prince is inside her?". My heartbeat begins picking up as I realize this might be my only chance to prove to him his sister's better off with me.

"Vaermina.". Nair begins to shake his head and go to turn.

"It's true! She didn't have a nightmare last night!". Nair pauses. Slowly, he turns back to me. His arms are beginning to strain under the weight of his sibling, but he struggles through it. I can see him chewing the inside of his mouth as he scans my face for any signs of deceit. I try to add a little to it.

"She had a _good_ dream last night. She dreamed of Kynareth kissing her hand and leaving a bird on the back of it. Look at it if you don't believe me.". His knees are beginning to tremble. He ignores them and awkwardly begins jostling his sister up and down in an attempt to look at her left hand. When it's clear he can't see it, I reach out and lift her hand up within his line of sight. The reaction he has is instant. He closes his glassy eyes, flattens his ears, and takes a deep breath. The man slowly releases it and I realize I just need to push a little more to get him to accept my way of things.

"Don't you want what's best for her?". Nair's eyes snap open and the glass is gone, in its place a fiery rage I cower away from. His voice is a hiss.

" _Do I want what's best for her?!_ ". Nair begins sidestepping off the side of the road until we're behind the inn in the middle of the path. I cringe as Nair drops his sister's legs and her feet _thump_ to the floor. Awkwardly, Nair wraps his sister in a face-to-face hug and begins trying to pull her robe up off her back. Something clicks inside my head.

"Are you trying to show me the marks on her back?". His reply is muffled because his sister's neck is smothering his face.

"Yes!". A second's pause before her realizes what my knowledge implies.

" _You've seen her back without a shirt on?!_ ". I can't help rolling my eyes. Though, I can suppose I can understand a brother being overprotective of his possessed sister.

"She was cleaning her clothes and I just happened to see.". Nair makes a "hmm" noise, but lets it go. Slowly, Nair begins lowering his sister to the ground. The man rolls his sibling flat on her back, makes sure all her limbs are in a comfortable position, and even makes sure her tail isn't getting crushed beneath her ass. Finally, Nair stands back up. He looks flustered and a little annoyed, but his voice is clear and strong when he speaks.

"Do you know what those marks are?". I shake my head. Nair's ears return to his skull as he begins shaking his head. He even goes as far as reveling his fangs to me as he hisses in disgust.

"Those marks are where the Knights of the Eight tried scourging her back while burning and freezing her in the hopes of chasing whatever was inside her out.". I have no idea how to respond. I've heard horror stories before about how far the holy are willing to go to chase away what ills them, but the Khajiit never told me anything about how her back became so injured. It sounds believable, though. Having a knight possessed by some Daedric prince isn't something the Knights of the Eight would jump at the chance for, and they aren't the kind of organization to turn an initiate away after years of training for something out of their control. I'm sure in their mind the mortification of the flesh to rid the knight of her possession was a worthy sacrifice. I don't. And, Nair doesn't either. The man's arms are bulging beneath his armor as he folds his arms and tenses every muscle he has. His snarl reveals a piece of the puzzle I hadn't even begun to look for.

"She was lying beneath the Shrine of Kynareth burned, bloody, and bludgeoned by the time I arrived. My sister was dying and the Knights were willing to keep beating her in the hopes of freeing her of her possession.". He looks towards the ground with pure hatred.

"Our second father was the one leading the entire process. He told me that if she died during it, then at least she'd die free of possession.". He falls silent, but I say the next words for him. I can already see from how they've treated each other and the protectiveness of Nair what he did for her.

"You stopped the ritual.". He nods without looking up from the ground. Slowly, his ears begin to rise and his lips go back over his teeth. Even his voice seems to sound softer.

"They were preparing to scourge her again when I pulled her from the ritual's circle. It broke whatever spell was chasing Her out of my sister, but it also gave the knights a reason to stop beating my sister to death.". His gaze turns from the ground to where his sister's still lying on the ground.

"She never forgave me. She always said She was almost out of her when I pulled her from the circle. Oblivion, she wanted to try it again. The only reason she didn't go through it again was because the knights decided it was too "dangerous" to try it again since She might be able to break free if my sister doesn't suffer before she dies.".

 _Perfect_.

I take a step forward and play the card I've been saving.

"If you've done all of this for her to _keep_ her from suffering, then why not let her come with me? I've already gotten rid of her nightmares and discovered who's inside her. If there's even a _small_ chance I can free your sister without killing her, what's the harm?". Nair lets out a deep, long sigh as he brings one hand up to his face to bury his head in it. His words are muffled as he gives me a single rule to follow.

"No more Daedric artifacts. Take the Ebony Blade away from her and never let her near another prince's "gift". And, know that I'll be trailing two days behind you at any time. If you do something wrong, then I'll know.". I don't waste any time. I kneel down, hook the woman beneath the armpits, and begin trying to pick her up. I grunt and groan for about three seconds before Nair leans down and picks up her feet. The woman begins to groan as we begin moving her back to the inn, and for that I'm thankful. Staying unconscious for more than a minute or two can start leading to head injuries and the last thing the woman needs is another problem to deal with.

The inn's patrons look at us oddly as we carry the knight through the crowded, smoky room, though none of them try to stop the suspicious situation. The Khajiit finally begins coming to when we've placed her snugly in our shared bed. Nair's gone before she's awake. There's no goodbye or pat on the back or anything. He just leaves and leans the rubble of the door against the frame of the door. I barely even have a chance to register he's gone before the knight's coming to. She doesn't jerk awake or scream, thankfully. She just opens her eyes and pushes herself up with an almost indignant look upon her face. I don't say a word as I let her take in her current surroundings. The woman scans the room three times before her eyes finally settle on me. Already, a smile has graced her lips. Her words are a little hoarse from the fact she got knocked out, but I can still understand her.

"You didn't let him take me.".

 _I drove a wedge between these two when I wanted to steal from them. It's my job to bring them back together._

"Nair decided on his own that it'd be better if you stayed with me.". She doesn't look convinced, but doesn't fight me. She just seems to have a little sour expression on her face as she struggles to stand. Instantly, I'm beside her and helping her rise. Her footing is a little unsteady at first, though she gets back to normal within a few steps. The woman, oddly, brushes away her brother's presence and attack entirely. Instead, she looks at me with a gigantic grin on her face as she tells me what we need to do next.

"I dreamed again. I dreamed of a wolf in Falkreath who'll lead me to something else to strengthen my connection with the gods and further free me from Her.". I feel a pressure inside my chest lightening a tiny bit. I honestly didn't have any idea what to do to further help the woman since I'm not an expert on Vaermina. Going back down to Falkreath isn't entirely appealing, but it's better than standing around in Whiterun waiting for Her to poke her head up again. Besides, the traveling will give me more time to know the real Khajiit and not the woman sculpted by Vaermina. I nod and jostle both our belongings in one hand and the Ebony Blade in the other.

"Alright, let's get going.". We don't waste another second.

* * *

 **Note: Sorry for the late update as I was having a bit of difficulty with my internet connection. Also, "A New Order" will reopen with its most likely final installment the next time this story is updated.**


	20. Saint Roch

"What did you do before this?". The question comes after we've set up camp in a grassy area surrounded by a few sparse trees near the mouth of the White River near Lake Ilinalta. The Khajiit and I are currently sitting on our sleeping bags on opposite sides of the fire while Cupcake and Lucky nibble on the needles of the tree they're tied to. I'd been watching the fish dangling above our flames drip grease when she'd asked her question, but now my eyes turn to her. The woman's piercing gaze doesn't waver as I look at her. I quickly find my gaze drawn back to the bubbling fish. I decide to buy myself some time.

"What?". The woman knows I'm a thief, but now I think she's asking for specifics. Thankfully, I'm wrong.

"I saw you coming to Riften and becoming a thief when you couldn't find a job. She didn't show me anything before that. I don't know where you come from or what you did.". That's a little easier to answer. Makes me a bit uncomfortable she knows _why_ I became a thief though. I prefer people thinking I just enjoy thieving over the simple fact there aren't enough jobs in Riften for everyone and thieving promised me _something_ over nothing. Though, I suppose there's nothing I can do about that, and telling her where and why I came to Riften is easier than explaining my thieving. That's why I find it easy to answer her question while continuing to look at the fish.

"I was born in Solitude, grew up in Morthal, and studied medicine in Markarth.". I spare her a brief glance before focusing on the fish. The woman's face is twisted in confusion and her head's cocked to the side. I promise her I'll explain it when I realize she doesn't know the holds or their cities. I suppose that makes sense since she wasn't _actually_ going town to town to recruit for the Knights of the Eight.

"I'll get you a map. Just know that those cities are all along the western border with Solitude and Morthal near the top and Markarth about halfway down.". I glance at her again. She's chewing on her lip and squinting.

 _Probably just trying to mentally picture where the cities are._

I decide to help her out a little and describe them.

"Solitude is the capital of all of Imperial Skyim, Morthal is a little one-horse town close enough you can see it from the palace in Solitude, and Markarth is the largest city in the rockiest, worst province in all of Imperial Skyrim.". I don't look away from the fish. Instead, I watch its skin begin to crinkle. Eventually, the Khajiit asks another question about me.

"You studied medicine?". I nod.

"What were you?". I smile a little as I remember all of the years I wasted learning almost everything I could about modern medicine.

"I'm an officially licensed laech, barber, surgeon, chemist, and geriffa who's recognized in all Imperial provinces as such.". A whistle is her response. I feel a tiny bit of pride in myself being stroked. It took me about ten years to get certified in almost every area of study Markarth offered that I thought I'd need to know: a laech to cauterize and stitch wounds; barber to work on tooth injuries and bloodletting; surgeon to set bones and remove arrows; chemist to learn about toxins, drugs, and antidotes; and a geriffa to learn about potions and medical plants. I question telling her about my specialization, but decide to.

"I put an emphasis on the beast and mer races with another emphasis on being an obstetrician.". I'd be lying if I said I didn't use the word "obstetrician" just to get her to ask. Sure enough, it works.

"What's an obstetrician?". I reach out and take the stick with the crispy fish out of the fire. I blow on it once before answering her.

"A specialist who takes care of pregnant women and helps them give birth.". Another whistle that causes me to sit up a little straighter. Of course, the Khajiit has to point out the flaw in my education.

"There weren't any jobs for someone that knowledgeable about medicine?". I pull the burning, oily fish off the stick and begin juggling it from one hand to another. As I do, I tell her why I ended up going broke after buying myself one of the best educations possible with my parents' gold.

"Only a Jarl can afford someone as specialized in medicine as I am, and every Jarl I've ever seen already has a personal physician.". I always could've attended to the masses for free or for a lower cost, but that wasn't in the cards for me. I've seen medical professionals who do that and end up running themselves ragged within a few years. Besides, thieving from the rich made more than caring for the poor ever could. Though, I think the Khajiit knows that much for herself. Either she does, or she just doesn't feel the need to bring it up. Instead, she asks a different type of question as the fish cools and I begin standing up.

"So, you specialized in the beast races?". I nod as I walk around the flames and kneel down beside her. The woman's pulled two wooden bowls from her bag and holds them out to me. I _crack_ the fish in half and, briefly, stop our conversation to turn our attention to more immediate affairs.

"Head or ass?". She grabs the head in question and puts it in the bowl she places by her side. I dump the ass of the fish in the other bowl and sit beside her. We keep eating and don't look at one another, but the knight continues the conversation.

"So, you know more about my body than I do?".

 _Your body specifically? No, I've never worked on someone possessed by a Daedric Prince. A female Khajiit body that isn't corrupted as a general rule? Definitely. I had to know every type of Khajiit and Argonian body inside and out to pass my final exam and get my certification in the beast races._

"I had to. My teachers had to always act as if I was going to perform surgery on a dying person who randomly stumbled in from the streets and can't tell me what happened to them. If I was digging around looking for arrows and accidentally took out your liver because it's lower than a man race's liver, then I've done more harm than good.". I've never actually messed up that bad, but a student who worked beside me _did_ mess up that bad. The only mercy was the body was a cadaver.

"So, why'd you go into medicine? You don't exactly seem like the altruistic type to me who'd go into a field for the sake of helping people.". Fish flies from my mouth as I cackle. Thankfully, I get myself under control quick enough and can tell her why I went into the medical field.

"It was the only thing I was good at. Most people get confused at the insides of people, but it's just like an amusing puzzle to me since everyone's a little different inside from the diagrams they always show. My parents had enough money they sent me off to learn all I could.". I put my bowl on the ground and try to decide whether I should tell her about my family or not.

 _She told me about hers, so it couldn't hurt to tell hers about mine._

"Only my parents were gone by the time I finished school. That's why I started looking everywhere I could for a job. Ended up in Riften and you know how it goes from there.". The Khajiit goes "hmm" and agrees.

"You got stranded in Riften without any gold and thieving paid more than taking care of people.". I nod and stare at the messy remains of my dinner. The Khajiit isn't the first person who knows why and how I ended up a thief in Riften, but it's still nice to share with her. I've left out a thousand different stories that happened to me along the journey of becoming a medic and thief, though those can wait for other days just like the Khajiit's marriage and other tales. Suddenly, the Khajiit nudges me a little with her shoulder. I look over and see her offering me a small smile.

"Thanks for telling me. Also, sorry about your parents.". I grunt a little and shrug. I've mourned and accepted their deaths. Besides, it's not like I saw them murdered in front of me. I reach out and pat the Khajiit on the shoulder.

"We should probably go to bed. We have a long way to ride tomorrow.". It's true we have a long way to go tomorrow, but I also want to put this conversation to an end. Remembering my medical practice always reminds me of how much potential I had and how much time I wasted. However, my feelings chance when I heave myself to my feet and the Khajiit talks again.

"If you can't find a job after I'm free of my possession, then you could always come back to Cyrodiil with my brother and me.". I turn to see her looking at the fire with her ears flattened.

"About half of our knights and priests are either mer or beast. And, most of our councils are beast with a few mer thrown in.". She further turns her head from me as she continues speaking.

"We only have a handful of physicians specialized in taking care of either mer or beast, and you'd be the first we have to specialize in both.". She finally manages to gather the courage to look me in the eyes.

"We've been trying to send some of our students off to learn medicine, but not enough want to go and not enough of those who go pass their exams.". The woman manages to offer me a decent smile.

"Besides, the ones who _do_ pass aren't good enough I'd trust them to get an arrow out of my chest.". I bite my lip and shrug at her. The Khajiit accepts my confusion and just nods at me. Finally, she seems to relent because she begins struggling into her sleeping bag without getting off of it. I walk back around the fire and get into my own sleeping bag. I hear my own high, unusual voice speak.

"Sleep tight.". A grumble from across the fire that I think is "Don't let the skeevers bite.". I close my eyes and try to go to sleep, but my mind's too busy. I never thought I'd get a job that related to my medical profession, but now that there's an offer I'm not sure if I should take it or not. I _definitely_ can't go back to Riften and stealing alone is too dangerous, so I _know_ I'm not going to be a thief. That doesn't necessarily mean I want to be a physician, though. I'm still mulling it over as I go to sleep with a single sentence my mother once told me replaying in my mind.

 _You have to go where the jobs are. You might have to leave Skyrim._

* * *

The road outside of Falkreath is empty and the sky is about the weep when we finally reach where we're going. I only know we're where we need to be because the Khajiit suddenly reins in and dismounts Cupcake. My friend ties her horse up before coming over and helping me off Lucky. She's tying him up and I'm stretching when the dog comes up.

Sif, who only caught up with us an hour or so ago, is the first to see the hound and begins growling down the road. The Khajiit's the next to see him. She _smacks_ my arm and points down the road. I'm the last to see the large, grey hunting dog that's charging towards us. Oddly, Sif whimpers and jumps behind the Khajiit as the dog arrives. The pooch begins running around in a circle in front of us and the knight once again shows her softer side for animals. She kneels down with her hands on her knees and begins talking to the hound like he's a baby.

"Who's a good boy? Who's a good doggy? Who's the best dog in the world?". That's when the dog stops spinning, looks the Khajiit directly in the eyes, and speaks.

"Me!".


	21. A Cat's Best Friend

_A Few Feet from Vex..._

My first instinct is to run from the talking dog. I rise and turn, but that's as far as I get. The dog just _appears_ in front of me like nothing's happened.

"Whoa! Hey, calm down here!". I turn to talk to Vex. What I see causes a shudder to run up my spine. The woman's a statue as she looks with wide eyes at where the dog once was. I think it's just her until I see the woman's hair is frozen in a breeze that's no longer there. I flip around and see Cupcake likewise a statue as he strains his neck to get some needles while Lucky's frozen halfway through relieving himself. I can feel and hear my own heart beating as I look back at the dog. He's sitting and wagging his tail.

"You done?". Slowly, I find myself nodding.

"Good. Now, I believe some introduction is in order.". He rises and tosses his head backwards in obvious pride.

"I'm Barbas.". He lowers his head and I see his eyes are completely white.

"Though, you already know who I am, don't you?". I slowly nod again. He's Clavicus Vile's other half and half of the Daedric Prince. I feel my throat go dry as I begin to take a step backwards.

"Wait! Before you go running off into the woods, hear me out.". I feel my foot forced to the ground and realize I don't have much of a choice. That doesn't stop me from shaking as Barbas talks. As he does, the dog heaves himself onto his hind legs to look me in the face. Somehow, that doesn't put me at ease.

"I know what you're doing here. Great pilgrimage, getting rid of Her, saving the day, etc. I can help.". I begin shaking my head out of reflex. Barbas already has an argument ready.

"You took the Ebony Blade, didn't you?". I stop shaking my head and he keeps going.

"I know what's beneath those clothes of yours. I know the scars and burns all along your spine. Hurts, doesn't it?". I find I can't lie to the dog. I nod.

"You can't fight with those wounds. They keep ripping open and aching, don't they?". Another nod is my contribution to this conversation.

"I'll tell you what I'll give you. I'll give you a trinket of Clavicus Vile's to help you in your quest, heal those nasty wounds all up and down your back, and tell you where you need to go next to _really_ begin this quest of yours. If you get things done to my liking, then I'll even lessen Her presence inside of your head.". Everything Barbas offers sounds tempting, but I know better than to accept gifts from Daedric Princes. I try taking another step backwards. I'm still stuck on the spot and the Ebony Blade on my back _rattles_ as I try to move.

 _I've already accepted the Ebony Blade. I'm not the one that made a deal with Mephala, but I still took her blade when it was offered._

Barbas seems to sense my hesitation.

"I should also mention I'm not going to let you go unless you agree to do what I need done.". A tingle runs up my spine.

 _Really, there's no reason not to take whatever Barbas is offering. Besides, how bad could it be?_

I find myself nodding. A small smile graces Barbas' lips as he _thunks_ back to the ground. A single wag of his tail unfreezes whatever bubble we've been placed in. Vex gags and flips around with a start. The poor Imperial is panting and grasping her chest as Barbas looks between the two of us.

"It's nice to meet both of you. Now, follow me. You two're going to help me reunite with my master.". Barbas turns around and bounds away without another word. I consider mounting Cupcake and shoving Vex on Lucky, but decide not to. I'm sure that Barbas won't take us far.

* * *

It turns out I'm very, very wrong. Barbas leads up further north and up into freezing, biting winds as we push up into a mountain pass. The pooch even takes us by a bandits' trap in the road along with a bandits' burnt town along the way. The criminals easily scurry away when I flash the symbol of the Knights of the Eight on the back of my robe, though that doesn't put me at ease.

The scum of Skyrim aren't renown for their respect for the holy. Still, I don't complain as Barbas takes us up an abandoned, snowy path. The wind is beginning to nip at me and my feet are soaked with snow as we finally arrive at the cave Barbas has been leading us to. The dog runs in without a single glance over his shoulder. I go to follow, but a gentle hand wrapping around mine stops me. I turn around and see Vex looking at the entrance to the cave and biting her lip. The woman shakes her head.

"We shouldn't go in there.". My chest clenches. I'm not sure why, but I feel like I _need_ to go in there.

"Vex-". She shakes her head even harder and begins tugging on my arm.

"No!". I dig my heels in. We're about the same size, though the thief is mostly muscle while I have fat clinging to my ribs. That's why when push comes to shove the woman can't make me budge. Sadly, her pulling also means I can't enter the cave.

"Vex, this isn't any different than when you made a deal with Mephala to get the name of Vaermina!". Slowly, Vex stops kicking up puffs of snow and turns back to face me. She shakes her head even harder and I see steel in her eyes.

"It's different. That was _me_ making a deal with Mephala, not you!". She seems to realize something because she begins smiling.

"This is a trial! The Divines are testing your strength and willpower!". She goes back to causing a miniature snowstorm as she begins trying to pull me from my path. I'm not moved in the slightest.

"I'm not going to make a deal with him! I'm just going to reunite Clavicus Vile and Barbas so we can learn where to go on my quest!". Vex stops and looks at me with her face tightened. Her voice takes on a high, mocking tone I'm sure I don't sound like.

"I'm just returning Clavicus Vile to his full power in order to get the knowledge I want!". I feel rather than control my lips as they turn upwards to show Vex my fangs. The Imperial isn't intimidated in the slightest. She continues covering my legs and soaking my robes in snow as she continues fighting to pull me away. My heels threaten to leave the ground, but twisting my feet quickly gives me enough leverage to keep myself grounded. Vex doesn't give up, though. My heart aches at how upset the woman is, but I try to talk some sense into her.

"Vex, I need to find out how to get Her out of me. If that means making Clavicus Vile whole again, then so be it. It's not like he's one of the _powerful_ Daedric Princes. It's like I'm just putting things back to normal.". Vex doesn't see how much this means to me and keeps trying to force me to move. At this point she's beginning to kick up dirt her heels have dug so deep into the earth.

" _Vex!_ ". Finally, the woman stops running and looks me in the eyes.

"Do you know how long I have to get Her out of my head before the Knights of the Eight expect me to return back to the Imperial City?". She, obviously, shakes her head.

"A year. I have _one_ year before I have to start heading home. So far, I've wasted a month.". I knew how this pilgrimage was going to end the second I left the Imperial City. I was going to waste an entire year going around Skyrim gathering recruits like my cover story was, then either go home with Her still attached to me or-quite possibly-have Her consume me. Neither were appealing options, but I'd accepted my fate. Now there's a chance I can actually get Her out of me and return to my normal life. Vex _needs_ to see that.

"If I don't get Her out of me in that time, then the Knights of the Eight are going to want to _force_ her out of me. That means-". Vex both interrupts me and impresses me with her knowledge of holy punishments.

"Scourging, burning, beating, and all that. I _know_.". Slowly, her hands remove themselves from my arm. I let my arm drop, but don't run and break the trust Vex has put in me. Instead, I keep trying to talk her into it.

"I _know_ I can't survive going through that again. So, I'm going to die if I don't get Her out of me.". Vex offers up another weak excuse.

"We could find another way to get Her out.". She once again relies on her first argument.

"You're supposed to serve the Divines. Helping a Daedric Prince _isn't_ serving the Divine.". She has a point, but I have a better one.

"I can serve the Divines better with Her out of my head. Restoring Clavicus Vile to his normal power isn't making him any stronger than he originally was, so it's not like I'm serving him. And you and I both _know_ there's no way we're going to find out how to get Her out of me.". Ultimately, what makes the decision is Barbas. The dog comes spluttering out of the entrance and stops right beside me. The hound's a mess of white as he looks up at me with the best glare he can muster plastered across his face.

"Are you coming or not?". I look at Vex. The woman's gazing at the snowy ground and biting her lip. I've made my decision.

"Vex, I'm going in there and finding out how to get Barbas and Clavicus Vile back together. You can either wait out here, or come in with me and help me get Her out of my head.". As an afterthought, I tell her what I'm prefer.

"I'd like you to come with me.". Barbas turns and returns to the cave as I take a few steps backwards. I assure Vex I won't be mad at her.

"I'm fine if you wait out here. Just stay warm and safe.". I don't wait to see her reaction. I turn and follow Barbas into the cave. I find myself waiting, though. I wait just inside the entrance to the cave where I can't really see anything, though I can't be seen from the outside of the cave due to the shadows the entrance throws. Slowly, the chill begins to leave me and I realize I can't wait around forever. A soft, gentle hand comes to rest on my shoulder. I feel a smile come to my lips as my friend speaks.

"I think you're a damned fool, but I'm not going to let you get yourself killed. At least, I'm not letting you get yourself killed _alone_.". I raise one hand and pat the back of her's.

"Thank you. I promise you won't regret it.". We don't speak anymore as we go deeper into the cave.


	22. Son of Sam

_A Few Feet from the Khajiit..._

 _I've ruined her._

That's the only thought that goes through my mind as we fight through the freezing, dark cave deeper and deeper underground. The humbled, somewhat kind Khajiit has turned into an unrecognizable monster. The Ebony Blade flashes in her hands like an extension of her body, and that's only half of it. Her enemies don't just die, they _suffer_ before doing it. Vampire, thralls, and spiders are dismembered limb by limb before being left in the snow to bleed to death. Mostly, that's where I come in. I kneel beside each bleeding body after the knight's torn and shredded them to give them a pity slit across the throat.

I can't get the sight of the dead and dying out of my mind. A woman with her arms and legs cut off, a man ripped from hip to opposite shoulder, a spider intentionally blinded and left alive to scurry around in a panic. Eventually, the woman and Barbas run so far ahead of me the only proof they're still in the cave is the trail of moaning, suffering wounded I come across that guide me to where they're heading. I'm shaking by the time I begin to near the end of the cave. The snow is a pink, slushy mess and the dying are piled high on top of one another. Not a single one is dead. They all move and groan and moan as one living, suffering mass of flesh in the middle of the room. When I get near the monstrosity I'm up to my ankles in a pool of warm blood.

It takes me hours to kill all of them. I pull the wrecked, tortured bodies from the pile and slit their throats before dragging them a few feet away to make another pile of quiet, dead bodies. As I work, the horror of what I've created once again consumes me. The knight _never_ had this power before she had the Ebony Blade. I'm assuming she was a damned fine swordsmen due to her years of training, but to be able to dismember someone in the span of a few seconds is a power no mortal has.

 _I'll take that blade and hide it somewhere she'll never find it._

I already know that'll never happen. The woman was _laughing_ as she tore these people apart. The knight was a complete and utter sadist as she caused vampires and mortals alike to writhe in pure anguish. She cackled and purposely left every opponent she faced in a personal oblivion to slowly die on the snowy ground. I don't think she'd kill me, but causing her to distrust me _isn't_ something I want right now.

 _I'll find another way to save her. I'll make her see this path only leads to destruction._

The knight isn't perfect, but she doesn't deserve to have Daedric Princes consume her mind. I come to that conclusion as I drag the final moaning, dying woman from the gigantic pool of blood she's floating in. The vampire's thrall is halfway decapitated with her legs and hands missing in the pile of dismembered limbs at the bottom of the miniature scarlet lake she was in. I finish the decapitation and hear the woman whisper what most of my victims have been.

" _Thank you._ ". I roll her into the tremendous, bleeding pile of flesh and take a step back. I'm soaked in blood and taste the coppery substance on my tongue. I put my dagger up with a _squish_ and enter where Barbas and the knight ran off to after torturing the now deceased. What I find completely boggles my mind. The Khajiit and dog are waiting for me in front of a gigantic statue of Clavicus Vile in the center of the cavern, but that's not the shocking part. The shocking part is the vampires surrounding them are dead, and when I approach the Khajiit she acts as if nothing's off. She smiles and waves and I see she's acting normal. No sadistic laughing at the dead or urge to rip the dead apart. She even talks like her normal self as I approach her.

"We waited for you before talking to the statue. I thought you might like to be here.". I cautiously nod at her. The last thing I want to do is say something that'll put her back into her "sadistic killing" mode. The Khajiit smiles at me and turns to talk to the statue. She doesn't kneel or bow, but she does talk to it with a bit more respect than she did Barbas.

"Clavicus Vile, you there? I have some business that needs discussing with you.". The statue talks back almost instantly in a smooth, silky voice that sends shudders up my spine.

"By all means, let's hear it. It's the least I could do, since you already helped me grant one final wish for my last worshipers. They were suffering so from vampirism, and begged me for a cure. Then you came and ended their misery! I couldn't have planned it better myself. So, what's your heart's desire? What kind of deal can we strike?". I once again want to stop her, but I force myself still. She seems to have herself under control again and, much as I hate to admit it, the knight needs to find out where to start looking for a way to get Her out of her head. If that means restoring some lessor Daedric Prince to his original power, then so be it. Worse things have happened. Thankfully, the Khajiit stays on track and doesn't wish for something we don't need.

"I want you and Barbas back together.". The statue's voice seems to turn into a sneer as it talks.

"Ugh. That insufferable pup? Forget it. Request denied. No deal. I'm glad to be rid of him. Even if it does mean I'm stuck in this pitiful shrine, in the back end of... nowhere.". The statue hesitates before sighing.

"Well... perhaps there is a way he could earn his place back at my side. Maybe. But no promises.". Barbas barks and begins wagging his tail. The statue seems to groan a little before finally revealing what the three of us will have to do to get Barbas and Clavicus Vile back together.

"A man named Sebastian Lort has held himself up in Rimerock Burrow with my Rueful Axe. I want it back. Go get it and bring it back to me and we'll see what we can work out. Barbas knows the way.". With that, the voice goes quiet. I walk over to the Khajiit, but stay silent as she talks to Barbas.

"So, what's the story behind the Rueful Axe? There's gotta be a story behind it if we're going to fetch it.". The dog nods and talks in his own smooth, unnatural voice that gets me on edge.

"One of Clavicus's little jests. The wizard named Sebastian Lort had a daughter who worshiped Hircine. When the daughter became a werewolf it drove Sebastian over the edge. He couldn't stand to see his little girl take on such a bestial form. The wizard wished for the ability to end his daughter's curse. Clavicus gave him an axe.". I snort and the Khajiit chuckles a little. Honestly, it's not a bad joke. A morbid one that ends with a father killing his daughter, but still not a bad joke. Though, Barbas doesn't see it the same way. The pooch pouts until we calm down. Then, the Khajiit does something that sets me at ease.

"Do you mind marking Rimerock Burrow on my map? We can meet up there if you'd like.". The dog nods and taps the map with his paw when the Khajiit reveals it. And, just like that he's gone. I smile a little as we leave the cave. At least now we won't have to worry about Barbas.

 _Hopefully_.

* * *

I once again find myself camped out with the Khajiit. We're in the middle of the woods with our sleeping bags around the fire like last time. The only difference in the entire camp is the fact it's venison hanging over the fire and not a fish. And, the fact I'm the one who starts our conversation this time.

"You went a little wild back in the cave.". I expect her to shrug or wave it off. Instead, she admits it and puts my mind at ease a bit.

"Yeah, I did go a little off the handle.". She doesn't look at the venison like she did with the fish; instead, she looks me in the eyes as she talks.

"I think it was because of Barbas. That's why I sent him away, I want to be in my right mind when we get the Rueful Axe.". I'm not quite sure how it puts me at ease, but I assume it's because it makes sense. The Ebony Blade has been with her a few days and she hasn't gone wild during them, so having Barbas fight beside her seems like the more likely triggering event.

A weight I didn't know I was carrying leaves my chest. Knowing the woman's still in control of herself and she'll go back to normal when Barbas is gone is a large relief. It hurts to think this woman could be consumed by Her and become a snarling, rabid monster. Speaking of snarling, rabid monsters, Sif finally makes his reappearance now that Barbas isn't around to cause the wolf to go crazy. Already, I see something's wrong. The wolf slinks from the shadows and is sniffing the air for something. The animal barely moves one foot at a time as his head swings wildly back and forth.

 _He's searching for something._

Sif seems to find it. His head locks on his mistress and, very slowly, his lips begin to travel upwards to reveal his fangs. The beast pushes himself close to the ground, tucks his tail deep between his legs, and flattens his ears. This isn't a wolf stalking or hunting someone. This is a wolf facing his own death and trying to scare it away. I swear I even see the wolf beginning to shake as, once again very slowly, he lifts one of his hind paws and moves it backwards. The animal's weight starts shifting backwards as he starts edging away from the fire. I don't say anything to the Khajiit, but by now she follows my eyes to see what I'm looking at.

"Sif!". The wolf's reaction is instant. He howls a pained, tormented scream and begins kicking up dirt as he runs full speed in a circle. The poor animal even pisses himself before finally stopping when he's pointed directly away from his mistress. The wolf speeds off into the night without a single glance over his shoulder. I look back at the Khajiit and feel my heart shatter for her. She's looking at where Sif once was with the most heartbroken expression I've ever seen anyone make. I can't say I blame her. The wolf who saved her life and grew up beside her just ran like she'd set his tail on fire. Instantly, I'm already trying to comfort my new friend.

"He must have still smelt Barbas on you.". She bites her lip and flattens her ears as she keeps looking at where Sif was standing. Reluctantly, she nods in agreement. Her voice is higher than normal when she speaks, though.

"Yeah. That must be it.". She flips around and snuggles down in her sleeping bag without another word.

"Do you want to-". She violently shakes her head. I sigh as I go to bed.


	23. Malebolge

" _What?!_ ". The knight ignores my screaming and keeps trotting along on Cupcake. My rage burns inside of my gut and I lightly urge Lucky to go quicker. The Khajiit could easily pull ahead and leave me in the dust, but she doesn't.

"That's it, then? Here's your horse now leave?". The woman ignores me again and keeps her eyes focused forward. I'd been woken up by a sharp kick to the side before the woman shoved Lucky's reins in my hands and told me to get lost. No warning, no explanation, no nothing. She just told me she never wanted to see me again, then rode away with the camp already packed on Cupcake. I've been yelling at her for a solid hour and she doesn't seem the slightest bit interested in responding.

 _Fine, she doesn't want to talk. I'll just make her talk._

It takes some doing, but I manage to begin to pick the woman's pockets as we're riding. She's so focused on the path ahead she hardly even notices when I begin pulling her items from her. The Ebony Blade finds its way to my back, her silver ring finds its way to my finger, and her clothes find their way across my lap. The last one is what finally stops her. She rides for about half of a minute completely naked before realizing I've carefully shredded her clothes and lifted them off her without her noticing.

Cupcake snorts as the Khajiit yanks his reins to bring him to a sudden halt. Her face is twisted in rage when she turns, but I stand firm. I gently pull Lucky back when the woman thrusts her hands out for her clothes. I shake my head before realizing I'm in complete control of the situation now. The woman's not going to be able to run from me without her weapon or clothes. Still, I try to keep any spite out of my voice as I demand the woman explain.

"Tell me why you're getting rid of me.". The woman shows me her fangs and her deep, rocky voice is closer to a saber cat's growl than a woman's voice.

"Why do you care? Just go back to Whiterun and start your life over like you wanted. Oblivion, go back to my brother and become his physician if you want!". Once again, I stand firm. I'm not sure why I care about the knight getting rid of me, but I do and that's all that matters.

"Tell me and I'll go.". She lunges for her stuff as she snarls.

"I lied to you!". I pull Lucky back further and the Khajiit goes tumbling off her horse. Her _cracking_ her head against the ground is what gets me off Lucky so quick. I help heave the woman up while still keeping her clothes tightly grasped in one fist. The woman's wobbly and doesn't look pleased, though she doesn't lunge for her stuff again. Rather, she leans against Cupcake and looks at me. The shine in her eyes and the disappearance of her ears tell me what's really the problem here. Slowly, I release my grip on her clothes and let them fall to the ground. My own voice is softer than I've ever heard it before.

"What's wrong?". Her tremendous claws come out of their sheathes and the woman buries them deep enough in her mane blood begins to flow. The Khajiit's eyes squeeze shut. A tingle runs up my spine as she speaks. The voice that emanates from my friend isn't her own.

"I lied to you.". I close my eyes and suck in a deep breath.

 _I knew she probably lied about some things. I just need to find out what._

"What did you lie about?". Her eyes are milk when she next opens them. Every ounce of commonsense in my body commands me to turn tail and run into the hills. My dedication to this knight and her quest cause me to dig my heels in.

 _What's the worst that could happen? I have her sword._

"I told you She only came to me once I was a teenager. I told you my mother was the one Her followers originally wanted. I told you I wasn't a knight.". My bones chill as I realize the implications of what she's saying. The Khajiit has had Her with her her entire life, She wanted the Khajiit from the beginning, and the Khajiit was indeed knighted. At least, I _think_ that's what she means. Still, jumping to conclusions will only hurt my knees. The last time I tried to piece the woman together I thought she was an arrogant knight who got shamed for her own hubris. The woman's claws dig ever deeper into her scale. I decide to dig for the truth before she kills herself.

"Tell me.". Her milky eyes close and her voice slowly returns to normal as she goes.

"I knew Her from the moment I was born. The scars on my back are new, that's true, but what lies underneath isn't. When Barbas removes my marks you'll see dead, rotten flesh without any fur where the scars were. I was born with it. It was the Divines warning my parents to kill me. It was a warning I'd only bring pain and suffering to this world.". Oddly enough, I can believe that. I've heard enough stories of babes born with extra limbs or deformed bodies that have been interpreted as "evil" by priest or priestess.

Usually, the babes are cast down a well or have their little necks broken. It doesn't surprise me that two Knights of the Eight would revoke a Divine warning and swear to save their child. It also wouldn't surprise me if the Divines purposely killed them for their gall to save a damned soul. What the knight says next further strengthens her claim.

"She came to me when I was a child and has been with me ever since. Everyone thought she was an imaginary friend until I returned with Sif.". Her watery, wide eyes open.

"I also lied about Sif. He wasn't a gift from Kynareth that came to save my life.". That makes sense. A gigantic wolf doesn't _sound_ like something Kynareth would send to save a child.

"Fenrir and Sif were sent by Her. When Fenrir found me she had completely white eyes and, I know this sounds weird, a _human_ way of walking and acting. It was like she was a man inside an animal's body. When Sif carried me from the woods he had the same milky eyes. If he ever gets them, then I know She is inside of him. She can't possess me, but she can possess animals just fine.". One final piece is still missing.

"So, you were actually knighted?". She shakes her head.

 _Great, a lie within a lie._

"The girl I killed wasn't actually found until the following morning in the middle of the knighting ceremony. So, I'm kind of a knight and kind of not. I consider myself a knight and I _technically_ am, but the council and Her still refer to me as a squire. That's how I was able to have squires even though I'm one.". Well, everything makes a little more sense now. Still not thrilled she hid this from me for so long, but having Vaermina inside your skull is going to make you act a little funny and lie a little. The important thing is she told me. Now I know more about her and why she's doing things. It's still going to be hard to convince her I need to stay with her, though. Her eyes are still gushing rivers and her claws are still scalping herself.

"Hey, it's alright.". I open my arms wide to show her I have no intention of stealing anything of hers again or fleeing.

"You lied. I get it. I lied and said I was Sapphire. Now, will you calm down and please tell me what this is all about?". This isn't like the woman at all. She thinks with her heart, but never this badly. Usually there's a rhythm and rhyme to her moods and actions; however, today there was nothing. Just her shoving me up and forcing me away before riding. It makes no sense whatsoever. Thankfully, the woman has an answer. She holds up her hand and shows me where the bird once was. The shape has changed into the head of a dog complete with eyes and facial features made of fur. I whisper my response.

"Barbas?". She shrugs and her voice is cracked.

"I don't know. I didn't even have a dream or anything. I just woke up and it was different.". Instantly, I'm already trying to comfort her. The Divines stood with her for this long, they won't abandon her in the time of her greatest need. At least, I _hope_ they wouldn't.

"It's probably just your fur growing back in funny. I mean, Kynareth's mark _had_ to disappear eventually, right?". Snot's beginning to run down the woman's nose and she goes _hhh_ to suck in back up before shrugging.

"I don't know.". Quickly, I do the best thing I can think of.

"I'm a medic, remember? Let me see it and I can tell you if it's growing in natural.". Her eyes light up and she practically shoves her hand towards me. Quickly, I take it and begin examining it. The pattern in her fur isn't natural at all. Khajiit need at least three days to grow this much fur back, and the way it's growing in doesn't make any sense. The fuzz should've came up evenly with the hair at her knuckles taking slightly longer than anywhere else on her hand to grow. The dog on her hand isn't natural and is most definitely a sign from some Divine or Prince that she's either done something right or wrong. I don't tell the woman that.

She doesn't need any more conflict or pain in her life. She needs to find out how to get Vaermina out of her, then go about doing it. If the Divines think I'm going against them by holding this information from the Khajiit, then I'll be the one answering to them instead of her. That's why I find myself lying to put my new friend at ease.

"It's normal growth. Besides, the dog looks wonky. See?". The dog _does_ look a little wonky around the edges, but not enough to be natural. Every single ounce of tension leaves the Khajiit's body and a smile grows on her face. The woman retracts her claws and takes the one still in her head away. Her ears come back up and she wipes the tears from her eyes with the back of her arm. She's still bleeding a bit from her head, but not enough for me to want to examine her. Mostly, I'm just a little worried about how tired she looks; though, that can be fixed later tonight. I pat my friend on the arm.

"Come on, get dressed and we can go get that axe.".

* * *

 _Miles and Miles from Vex..._

"Snake!". Smart-Snake drops the rabbit with a lame excuse.

"I thought it was choking.". Her voice is as "sweet" as she can make it. Mostly, it's her trying to hide the thick rasp her normal voice has. Any other day her "sweet" voice would let her avoid my ire and I'd let her grab the rabbit and keep petting it. As it stands, I'm already in a sour mood and Snake's been chasing that damned rabbit instead of listening to me.

"Snake, stop it.". Thankfully, the Argonian snorts in the general direction her almost pet went and leaves it at that. The brilliantly coloured woman returns to my side and finally adds to the conversation.

"You _sure_ they went this way?". I nod. My scouts reported Vex and my sister coming this way on Lucky and Cupcake respectively. Vex never told me she'd tell me where she was going, but it still sits wrong with me that the women went by the march of soldiers without so much as a "hello" to me. Though, I'd expect nothing less from my sister given how sore she is at how I saved her life.

 _She'll come around eventually. She always does._

This isn't the first time my sister's gone sour at me and it won't be the last. I'm still thinking about my sister when Snake and I enter Riverwood. The tiny town was calm the last time I came through here, but now it's like a madhouse. Everyone's in the center of the street with a lone man trying to keep them from entering a house. I sigh and pat Snake on the shoulder before heading over. Snake laughs as she follows me.

"It never ends, does it?".


	24. Maria Goretti

The crowd parts with ease as my squire/adopted sister and I come through. A Khajiit knight and Argonian squire are more than enough to demand their attention so we can reach the woman holding back the crowd without incident. The woman I go to meet is holding back the entire village with her mere presence. Honestly, I can't blame the village for not wanting to test the blade of this warrior. Her thick, leather armor perfectly fits her like another skin while her long katana is shining in the light as a reminder of what's awaiting anyone who decides to test her armor. The woman doesn't tense or prepare for a fight when she sees us; rather, she grunts in greeting while continuing to scan the crowd for the slightest hint of deceit. Snake smartly backs away and lets me speak to the warrior.

"Is there a problem?". She grunts and motions towards the house behind her with a jerk of her head. Not helpful, but an understandable response.

"What's the problem?". Another grunt before her response.

"Dead mother and daughter inside. We found the dad across the river, but my buddy's guarding him.". Snake nudges me and I lightly _smack_ her with my hand. I've known my squire long enough to know what her unspoken nudging means. She wants to know if we're going to take a small break to investigate the dead bodies.

 _My real sister's an adult. She can handle herself for a little while longer._

"May we investigate the murders?". Finally, the woman takes her eyes from the crowd. Her glare settles in my bones as the apparent protector of the town begins testing her weight against mine.

"Everyone in this damned town wants to play detective with their neighbors' bodies. Why should I let _you_ dig around in this? I've already got guards promising to come from Whiterun. What makes you better qualified than them to handle this?". I decide Snake needs a lesson in diplomacy rather than force.

"I'm a Knight of the Eight, and I'm already here. Do you really want to spend possibly all day standing around waiting for some guards? Besides, you can go guard the father's body with your friend while I'm poking around here.". The woman seems satisfied with my logic. She grunts and turns to leave. As she goes, she tells me exactly who she is.

"Tell the villagers that Delphine says to stay away from the house. That should buy you an hour or two.". I turn to speak to the crowd, but the villagers have already disappeared. Apparently, it's no fun in trying to get to a body unless there's someone trying to keep you from it. Snake lightly pats me on the back to bring me back to reality. I turn towards the house and begin walking to the door while telling Smart-Snake what we're going to do.

"Let's just see if there's any clear clue about who did the killing, then report to Delphine.".

"Smart. Get involved, but don't get too involved the locals can't finish it up by themselves if we leave in the middle of it.". I nod while holding the door to the house open for Snake. The woman enters the home with a flourish of her indigo-colored tail that I know is for me. I can't stop myself from rolling my eyes as I follow the Argonian into the house.

The sight before me is enough to churn my stomach, though I've seen worse on the battlefields. The fireplace across from the entrance is doused, the table dominating the left of the room has rotten room smeared across it, and the stairs leading down into the basement have a river of blood leading down them. The blood is courtesy of the two dead, mauled bodies right beside the stairs. A shiver goes up my spine and I swear I feel my heart stop. The bodies have their chests ripped open with only their hearts missing.

 _She couldn't have killed these people. She looked so good when I last saw her. No, she has herself under control. There's another explanation for this._

Snake must be on the same mental wavelength as me.

"You want me to leave you to this?". It's my squire's way of offering to let me deal with what she thinks is my true sister's mess. My sister is technically Snake's sister, but the two don't have the same relationship as Snake and I or my true sister and I. Though, that doesn't matter because it's not our sister's mess. It can't be. So, Snake doesn't need to leave. Because if Snake leaves it means my sister did this. If Snake doesn't leave, then my sister couldn't have done this.

"No, it's fine. I can already see signs she didn't do this.". Snake and I both know I'm lying. I haven't even examined the bodies or the crime scene. For all I know a bear could have came in here and killed these women. From the gigantic marks and missing meat it actually _does_ look like a bear's done this. Only no bear destroys a corpse just to get to a heart. A crazed, possessed Khajiit is another story entirely. I kneel down beside the child's body and look for marks of my sister. A single slash across the throat. Efficient and quick enough to silence any calls for help.

I pull my sword from my belt and slide it into the girl's throat wound. The blade rests deep enough it comes to about halfway up the blade. A trained warrior swinging as quickly as she could could _easily_ get her sword that deep in a neck before anyone could react and pull back. The sword also fits nicely into the wound without being forced. A sword doesn't mean anything, though. Lots of people have swords like the Knights of the Eight. I put my slightly bloody sword back in its scabbard and take off my gauntlets. I let the claws on my right hand out and rests the tips of my claws where someone trying to rip the women apart would put their hands. My claws doesn't fit quite right, but they still slide into the wounds with a little force.

"Snake.". She kneels beside me in an instant. I take my hands back so Snake can put her claws in their place. The Argonian's claws are too big to even fit inside the wounds. That's not to say an Argonian _couldn't_ have ripped these people apart-Argonians all have different claws sizes the same as Khajiit-it just means that it _probably_ wasn't an adult Argonian. Besides, the sinking feeling in my stomach tells me I'm not looking for just an Khajiit, but a specific one. My sister and I are about the same size and our difference in gender is made up for in the fact her claws are abnormally large and long for even a male Khajiit. So, Snake has proved this can't be an Argonian and I've proved the marks fit where my sister would need to dig her claws into them to rip their ribs open. Snake adds to the stone formed in my stomach.

"Nair, not to tell you how to think, but their hearts are missing. _Only_ their hearts. I'm not a knight like you, but I think we know who did this.". I bite my lip and nod.

 _Our sister's given into Her again. Vex didn't keep her promise. They came down here after Whiterun and murdered these people on their way through town._

I know how to deal with my sister. I know how she thinks, how she acts, and what she wants. I love her beyond words, but I also know why she'd do this. A little pain is enough to bring my sister to heel. Any form of pain can make her do anything a person wants. Somehow, Vex must have activated Her or caused my sister to need to activate Her. Either way, She is awake now and She demands tributes from my sister to keep Her quiet. Vex has failed and now it's up to me to once again bring my sister into rein.

I'll just need to track her down, then use the tactic of "ruin her mind" to get Her out. Long ago, the Knights of the Eight discovered that She didn't want my sister whenever she was drunk or high. Sadly, the knights don't encourage their knights constantly losing her mind to drink or drugs, so it's a rare tactic only to be used in times of emergency. Judging from the fact I have two heartless corpses in front of me, I'd say this qualifies as an emergency. I rise and shake the blood from my hands as Snake does the same.

"So, you want to start chasing after her? I can probably go scare up some horses for us.". I nod a little as I form a plan.

"Go get some horses ready. I'm going to go check the other body and see if there's anything connecting the two.". Snake nods and I follow her out the door. It takes me a few minutes to exit Riverwood, cross across the bridge leading to Whiterun, and continue down the length of the rocky bank to reach the grove of trees Delphine and a man are standing. The two ford the river in their clothes the second they see me approaching.

 _Not the friendliest of the bunch._

The corpse I find just confirms my fears. The man has his chest ripped open and his heart missing. Now there's no doubt in my mind that my sister is behind these murders. I leave the corpse where it lays and return to Riverwood. Snake is standing outside the house where the two corpses are with the reins of two horses in her hands. I'd originally made a judgement call that we wouldn't need horses to follow my sister since it didn't appear urgent, but now the situation's changed. I need to get to my sister and contain her until she's back to her normal self. I mount my horse in one swift motion. My squire mounts her horse while further showing she's becoming worthy of the title of "knight".

"I went ahead and bought some alcohol and skooma for when we find sister.". My heart aches for Snake. For years she's raged against considering either of us as possible siblings, so whenever she refers to me as brother or my sister as her own sister it's clear she's worried. Only the most extreme of situations make Smart-Snake throw her lot in with my sister and I. That's why I do my best to comfort her as I spur my horse into a light trot.

"We'll find her, don't worry. She's probably held up somewhere screaming about Her inside her.". Snake doesn't share my optimism.

"Vex probably had something to do with all this.". I grunt in agreement and pick up the pace. We need to get to our sister before anything bad happens.

* * *

 **Knight POV:**

The Rueful Axe is truly gorgeous. Two snarling wolves are divided by the wooden part holding the blade together. The polished, shining wood leads down to a thick, powerful handle perfect for rending enemies apart. I find myself cradling it rather than picking it up. Vex pats me on the shoulder in congratulations. The woman's the main reason I was able to kill the wizard guarding the axe and get it in the first place. I don't tell her that, though. The last thing I need is for Vex to get a big head. Still, I mumble a "thanks" as I put the axe on my back beside the Ebony Blade. Finally, I turn to a smiling Barbas.

"Let's go.".

* * *

Note: To my knowledge my stories are now updating properly. The current look of things is "A New Order" and "A Thief and a Knight" getting updated every three days and "Denerim's Shadow" every weekend. Occasionally, "A New Order" and "A Thief and a Knight" might get pushed back if they're meant to come out on a Monday. That's just to make things a little easier on me. That's all.


	25. Leviticus 22:8

**Vex POV:**

We're forced to walk slightly off the trail and pitch up camp before we return to Clavicus Vile. Cupcake and Lucky are still tied up near Falkreath, so the windstorm that comes along is too much for the Khajiit and I to push through. Barbas could _easily_ push through the raging wind, but the dog decides it's better to stay with us rather than trust us with the axe alone. It takes the knight almost an hour to nail everything that needs nailing and spike everything else, though in the end our camp can withstand the storm without blowing away.

The only downside to the camping situation is the Khajiit and I are separated and without a fire to warm us. I'm settled up in a sort of overhanging tent that bounds and jostles with the wind while the knight is _barely_ within sight inside a half-up tent that's force to strain against the storm. Barbas has decided to stay with me since my tent's actually erected and large enough for two. For a while, we're silent as I watch the storm. The tent is _snapping_ around me as the trees are forced to kneel to the wind.

Darkness only makes the storm worse as a light sprinkling of rain begins to descend. I'm finally forced to pull my tent together when the rain begins to flood down from the sky. The screaming of the wind can't be silenced by shutting my tent, but it's still muffled. I do my best to lie down and get comfortable. It's no use. The screaming, freezing, pounding storm refuses to let me sleep. And, Barbas decides it's time to start talking to me instead of the Khajiit.

"Kid.". I grunt and close my eyes.

"Kid.". I open them as I feel his presence dangling over me. Two brown, soft eyes are digging into my own.

"Kid.". A _thump_ that I realize is him wagging his tail.

"Kid.". Finally, I acknowledge him.

"What?". The _thumping_ gets harder.

"Sit up.". I groan, but Barbas is immune to any harm and boundless in energy. Trying to outlast him is futile. I sit up. The dog runs around me before sitting down in front of me like an actual person.

"I need to talk to you.".

 _Great_.

"About what?". A smile that's all too human.

"You're buddies with the knight.". Not a question, but I still nod at it. He cocks his head a little in a way that sends shivers up my spine.

"You know, the best way to that woman's heart is food.". I bring my hands to my head and begins rubbing my temples. Obviously, Barbas has some plan in mind that I can't even fathom or even begin to try to imagine.

"Why exactly are you telling me how to pal around with her? I think I'm doing a pretty damned good job on my own.". The dog adjust his sitting position until he's up on his haunches with his arms crossed. His smile only seems to get larger and toothier. Still, his eyes are the same soft brown of every stray dog I've ever seen.

"I'm not saying you're doing a _bad_ job. You just aren't doing an _effective_ job.". I scoff. Barbas might know almost everything, but he doesn't know anything about this.

"I know everything from when she was a child to what she did yesterday. She knows who I am, where I'm from, and why I'm here. We know damned near everything about one another and I enjoy being around her. Besides, I'm _pretty_ sure she likes being around me. We're buddies and I don't need _you_ telling me how to be her pal.". The dog _tsks_ with his tongue in a way no normal dog would be able to.

"You like being around each other, that's true. You know a lot about each other, that's true.". He throws his head in the direction the Khajiit's tent is.

"She doesn't know you're her friend.". I bury my head in my hands and scream louder than the howling wind.

"Why wouldn't she think we're friends? We're _clearly_ friends!". I look up and see the dog perking his floppy ears up into points.

 _Not comforting._

"I can see into her heart. She's never had a friend as deeply as you. Nobody wanted to be pals with someone that has a Daedric Prince inside them. Oblivion, she only knew her husband for a month before marrying him to try to get the Daedric Prince out of her.".

 _I'm not going to ask about her husband. That's her business and she'll tell me if she wants to. Barbas is just baiting me._

"She only knew her husband for a month?". He nods his head and crosses his hind legs like he's a man.

"Didn't want to marry him, but he was pious and devout. Knights thought forcing them together every hour of every day would cure her. She fell in love along the way, but only after a year of hostility. He's besides the point, though. We're talking about you and her. She doesn't know you think of her as a friend. She thinks of you as someone who tolerates her presence.".

 _That's really, really sad. She deserves to know she has a friend. The knight's suffered enough._

"Alright, I'll bite. What can I do to make her realize I'm her friend?". Barbas uncurls and drops back down into a normal dog's sitting position.

"Leave _that_ to me.". Instantly, I open my mouth and thrust my hands out in an attempt to get Barbas to stop whatever he's about to do. The _last_ thing I want is a Prince meddling in my affairs. It's too late, though. Barbas bounds out of the tent without opening the door and flies off into the knight. I groan and bury my head in my hands again. I've hardly calmed down when Barbas is fighting his way back into the tent through the closed door. Wind and water both come in with him and I quickly rip open the door to help him in.

 _Why didn't he just leap in through the fabric like when he left?_

My question is answered as soon as Barbas gets in. Barbas has three dead squirrels hanging from his mouth by their tails. Without thinking, I treat the Daedric Prince like an actual dog that's brought me something dead.

"Out! Out, out, out, out!". I grab him by the scruff of the neck and yank as hard as I can. I end up flipping myself back onto my back and looking up at the dog's cargo. Six lifeless eyes gaze down at me. I quickly push off of Barbas and send myself to the other side of the tent. The Prince speaks with his kills still dangling from his mouth.

"I got you some squirrels to cook for her!". This time, instead of using my hands I bury my face in my pillow to scream. When I pull up I ask an obvious question.

"Why am I cooking her squirrels?". Barbas spits the corpses out at my feet. I cringe and lightly kick the somehow clean corpses away from me.

"Squirrels are her favorite meal.". Clearly, he knows I'm doubtful because he elaborates as to _why_ they're her favorite meal.

"When she lived in the woods with Sif for all those years, deer and beaver were the main two things Fenrir would bring her. Squirrels were too quick for the wolf to catch, so getting one was special. Then, on the way back with the knights squirrels were the only thing your buddy could catch. Everything else was too big for her to take down. So, squirrels are associated with good memories in her life: getting a treat from Fenrir, or the journey back to the knights.". Clearly, I'm not going to cook the Khajiit squirrels. It _is_ my turn to cook whenever we set up camp next, but I'm not feeding her varmints to show her I think of her as a true friend.

"Thanks, but I think I'm just going to _tell_ her I think of her as a friend.". I pick up the soaked, dripping squirrels and prepare to toss them outside for some wild animal-or even Sif-to come and get as a free meal.

"She won't believe you.". I've lifted the bottom of the tent up with three squirrels in one hand. I pause and look at Barbas. The hound is smiling at me with his head titled to the side. I suck in a deep breath and, slowly, let it out. I know she won't believe me if I just tell her. She's just so unfamiliar with interacting with people and she's so paranoid because of Vaermina. I lower the tent and pull a knife from my boot. I begin cutting as I talk to Barbas.

"Can you eat?". I barely glance up to see him nodding.

"Care for some guts and skin?". A pause.

"Eh, I could eat.". It takes me an hour, but in the end I have three headless, pawless, and gutless squirrel carcasses in front of me. The final step is letting Barbas chow down on the parts I can't use while I stick my hands holding the corpses outside to both wash the meat and myself. I've barely gotten my hands back inside when Barbas begins licking his lips to show me he's done. I don't bother thanking the Prince as I begin looking in my bag for something to put the torsos in. I find an empty sack, shake the squirrels dry, and put them in the bag.

"I swear, you'd better not be lying to me.". Barbas nudges me as I put the sack back in my pack.

"Trust me, just give her a nice dinner and tell her you think of her as a good friend. I'd suggest putting some wild garlic you'll find in the chest cavities and hanging them over the fire until they're golden and the onions have melted. Everything will work out from there as long as you give her the meat and tell her she's your friend. Also, I wouldn't bring up her husband. Too many painful memories.". _That_ gets my attention.

"Why would I bring up her husband?". Barbas shrugs his nonexistent shoulders at me.

"I can't tell you. Just don't bring him up under _any_ circumstances.". I trust Barbas as far as I can throw him, but that doesn't stop me from taking his advice to heart.

 _Just give her the squirrels, say you're her friend, and don't mention her husband. Easy enough._

I don't say anything else to Barbas as I curl up into my sleeping bag for the night. The storm's died down enough I can sleep without the fear of blowing away. Barbas, however, doesn't need to sleep. Somehow, falling asleep with a Daedric Prince hovering over me doesn't put me at ease. Still, I force myself to sleep. I have a long, long day ahead of me tomorrow. Especially if it involves cooking squirrels.

* * *

"Good job, kid!". I hang back as Barbas congratulates my friend. Clavicus Vile accepted the axe with some thanks before telling us Barbas would give us-really the Khajiit-our rewards. Now I just have to wait for the Khajiit to get rewarded so we can continue our request. Thankfully, Barbas remains true to his words.

"Take off your robes and sit down on the ground.". The knight easily sheds her scarlet robes, turns from the dog, and sits down in the snow without regards to getting snow on her ass. Both of us shudder as Barbas goes about _slurping_ her back like wild. An _extremely_ uncomfortable five minutes pass where Barbas does nothing other than _slurp_ the Khajiit's back until it's soaking wet. Each lick causes the Khajiit and I both to jerk for different reasons. Finally, Barbas steps back. Already, I can see the burns and lashes on her back have disappeared. Though, that's not the end of her reward.

"Stand up and turn around.". When the Khajiit's standing Barbas continues her reward. He hops up onto two legs and _slurps_ her right in the middle of the face. My friend splutters as Barbas explains.

"She can't get to you as strongly anymore. Not that Vaermina _can't_ get to you, but it'll be like she's punching you through a pillow instead of without a blockage. Now, for the final half of your reward.". Barbas disappears in a flash and a helmet in the shape of Clavicu Vile's head takes his place. Barbas parting words ring out from the statue that's changed from Clavicus Vile alone to Clavicus Vile with Barbas at his side.

"The Masque of Clavicus Vile. You'll need it for your actual quest. Go to Markarth and speak to a priest outside the Hall of the Dead. You'll know what to do from there.". The room falls silent as I approach the Khajiit. My soaking friend is looking at me with a smile. I smile back.

"What are we waiting for?".


	26. Wake Up from an Everlasting Sleep

The weather is unforgiving when we're finally forced to stop. It's the middle of the day, but the sky is blacker than any night I've seen before. Not a drop's fallen, though the threat is hanging over our heads. Even the horses seem to know something's wrong. It takes all my strength to hold Cupcake and Lucky still so the knight can tie them securely to a tree, and even then the beasts begin fighting and screaming the second they realize they're trapped. I don't feel much safer. The thick, shadowy woods don't have a single trail in them.

Even makeshift trails made by animals are absent. Oblivion, there's not even a clearing to pitch our tents in. We end up having to secure some cloth to the trees overhead and wedge our sleeping bags in between the tightly-packed trees. Cupcake and Lucky aren't even standing straight, the poor animals are forced to curl themselves around the tree they're tied to. The worse part is the noises. The thick, almost woven canopy of needles and leaves above us is home to unseen animals, and their noises ring out to mingle with the wind.

Chattering of vermin in the trees, the cackling of the never-ending wind, the screaming of our horses, and the distant crack of thunder make a symphony only heard in the deepest pits of oblivion. The chill settling in my bones makes me shiver even curled in my sleeping bag, but a fire can't be lit for fear of setting the entire dense forest alight.

That means I'm shivering upon the hard ground and looking up at the dangerously swaying cloth canopy the knight's set up to "protect" us in case of rainfall. The sheet doesn't look like it'll do anything to prevent us from getting soaked, but I don't say that. Instead, I close my eyes and try to will myself to sleep. A deep, aching hunger keeps me from it though.

My friend offered to go hunting. I refused to let her. The danger of a bear or wolf attacking her in these untamed woods is too great. So, we're awkwardly curled around a tree together with both of our stomachs growling in rage. I turn my head to try to get a look at the woman. A black, thorny bush blocks my view of her. I whistle and see her face appear over the bush. The hunger and cold's gotten to her. A pure, unfiltered look of disgust is splattered across her face and her ears have disappeared against her head.

"What?". I know only the most basic of flame spells, but our hunger and my promise to Barbas make me offer something I might not be able to pull off.

"Would you like me to cook us some dinner?". Her ears pop up and her face softens.

"You can do that?". I nod even though I'm not sure if I could. The woman's face softens even further into an almost adoring look.

"Thank you.". She disappears back behind the bush. I curse myself for my idiocy and roll my head away from my companion. Familiar, long green stems meet my gaze. I reach out with one hand and _rip_ the plants from the ground. The large onions have dirt still clinging to them, but I still know what they are. I've been following Barbas' advice so far, so there's no point in stopping now. I sit up and pull the dead squirrels' corpses from the bag resting beside my bed. I'm shaking due to the gnawing cold, but I push my uncomfortable feelings to the side. I take a warm, slick squirrel in the palm of one hand and begin biting the dirty onions away from the stems. The taste of dirt fills my mouth, but the onions are clean when I spit them into the small corpse's chest cavity. I just can't tell the Khajiit how I prepared the corpse.

When I've used about half of the onions, the chest cavity is full. I place the onions down beside me, then take the squirrel in both my hands. I reach for the magic in the back of my mind. A nice warmness runs from the base of my skull down into the palms of my hands. A miniature fire that can't harm the forest erupts from my palm. Slowly, I pass the squirrel from hand to hand while slowly turning him side to side, or pass him to one hand and place my hand on top of his chest. It takes around twenty minutes of feeling the squirrel up before it's prepared exactly how Barbas told me to cook it. The animal's golden and the wild onions have melted evenly throughout its flesh. I whistle for the Khajiit. She sticks her head up over the bush. Her eyes become wide and a tremendous smile crosses her face.

"Vex, you did it!". She reaches out and _rips_ the bush out of the ground. My friend tosses the plant to the side and arranges her bed to where she's sitting beside me. I pass the still-warm meal over to her. The woman sings me praise until I _slap_ her leg with a grin splitting my face. The Khajiit rips into her meal with abandonment. Meat is torn from bone and my friend's face becomes smeared with onion and squirrel juices. I quickly prepare my own dinner by spitting onions in its chest and passing it from flaming hand to flaming hand. By the time I'm done cooking the second squirrel, the Khajiit has eaten all of hers and only a pile of little bones remain. A fondness overcomes me and I find myself offering her the second one. The Khajiit eyes the meal and bites her lip.

"I shouldn't...". I shove the meal into her hands and begin searching for more onions. I find a smaller patch at my feet and _rip_ them from the ground. I spit more onions into the final squirrel before setting my hands alight. Thankfully, cooking three squirrels has warmed me up and I'm able to enjoy my meal when it's cooked and I've washed my dirty mouth with water. My friend's even held off long enough we're able to eat together in silence. The squirrel has the texture of lamb and taste of calf bathed in onion.

Our dinner somehow seems to make the woods bearable. By now, the horses have quieted and the wind has died down a tiny bit. It's still freezing cold, but using my flame spell for so long has chased the chill from my bone. A full stomach, warmth, and quiet all make the evening enjoyable. It takes me a bit to eat my meal around the bones and to suck everything I can from it. It's enjoyable, actually. Being able to take a nice, long dinner sitting beside a good friend in comfort. Most people couldn't ask for more. A large pile of bones has formed beside the Khajiit and I by the time dinner's done. My friend tosses the bones off into the woods, cleans her face, and lies down beside me. I lie down in my own sleeping bag. Our heads are almost touching. Now's the time to tell her.

"You're a good friend, you know that?". The Khajiit lets a low grumble sound from her chest.

"I'm being serious. You're a good friend of mine. I couldn't ask for a better one. Being around you makes my day better, and I like every moment I spend around you.". I was speaking from the heart, but it doesn't seem to appease my Khajiit friend. She rolls onto her stomach in her bed and props herself up on her elbows. I decide to do the same so I can look her in the face. Our noses are uncomfortably close and I find myself lost in her deep, fawn-colored eyes. I _need_ to make her see that I truly think of her as a friend.

"You're probably the person I'm closest to. You're a good woman, and one of the best friends I've ever had.". She cocks her head to the side and I notice her hot breath is close enough for me to feel and smell. Obviously, it reeks of onions. Not a bad reek, shockingly enough. Just a smell to me for some reason. If I was smart I'd pull back and set the record straight. I don't. Her sweet, gentle eyes are boring directly into mine. This woman deserves happiness. She's a good person, pushing her away would only hurt her.

Still, it'd be the best thing to do. I can't get involved with someone possessed by a Prince. Stringing her along would only hurt us both. I don't push back as she closes her eyes. I don't even pull back when her chapped, chilled lips meet mine. An overwhelming taste of garlic consumes me. I don't push her away. If I didn't kiss back, then her lips couldn't form against mine right and she'd get the idea I'm not into her.

Even as I tell myself I can't be with her, I find myself turning my head and deepening our kiss into something proper. Once again, the smell and flavor of onions consume me and I ignore it completely. Her lips become warmer as they gently move against mine. Not necessarily asking entrance, but still moving enough I'm not kissing an unresponsive partner. Slowly, she gets the rhythm of the kiss and it actually becomes good.

Good enough for me to close my eyes and revel in the feeling of kissing someone after going years without. The comfortable feeling of warm, soft lips rubbing against mine is enough for me to let myself begin to relax. The Khajiit's obviously never kissed anyone, or it's been even longer for her because she holds her breath and runs out of air soon. Her now wet, flushed lips pull away with a _pop_ from mine and I open my eyes.

Her ears are flattened and her beautiful eyes are turned towards the small line of dirt between us. I should tell her that we can't be together. That I'm still a thief and she's still a knight. That she's possessed and I'm a rational being. That she's religious and I follow Nocturnal. That our paths will split in the future and there's no way anything between us can lead to anything deeper without hurting us. I don't. This woman's one of my truest friends, and her kissing wasn't half bad.

 _You're taking advantage of her. You know it can never work out, but you're too selfish to be the one to cut things off. You're going to make her do it, and that'll hurt her even worse than if you just told her you weren't into her._

I ignore my conscience and decide to give in to the pleasures of the flesh and mind. I reach my hand out and cup her cool, furry cheek. My friend's soft eyes turn back up towards me. I offer her my best smile and try to look as kind and caring as I possibly can. "Uncomfortable" isn't the right word to describe her, but I can see her mind working. Better to have her attention on me than on whatever troubling thoughts I'm sure are churning around in her head.

"Be honest, best kiss ever?". A snort as she shakes her head. Thankfully, she looks more at ease. The woman leans into my hand and her ears fold back a little. A smile I've never seen even dares to grace her lips. The knight might be at ease, but I don't want her going to bed and stewing over the kiss she initiated.

"You know, I'm really sorry.". Her eyes become wide and her ears completely flatten. I can practically read the terror written across her face.

"About what?". I smirk a little bit at myself even though it's cruel to the Khajiit.

"I _know_ I can do better than that.". I gently pull her back to me.


	27. Devil's Footprints

I wake up to the sound of birds calling to one another and the gentle rustle of the trees surrounding me. When I open my eyes, the thick canopy above me doesn't look an ounce as ominous or threatening as it did last night. Now I can see the small gaps leading to the sky and where the squirrels are making the limbs dance rather than the trees moving themselves. Slowly, I rise. Lucky and Cupcake are tethered in front of me and the animals are gently grooming one another with no more fear of the woods than a child in its crib. The forest seems welcoming and kind now that it's accepted our presence. I turn in an entire circle until I find the woman I'm looking for.

If I didn't know who she was, I'd swear a werelion was wandering Skyrim. The knight's turned from me, but from what I can see of her she's a sabre cat ready to fight. Her arms are stretched out from where she's standing in the gap of two trees to rest on either of the plants' barks. However, her claws are digging into the bark and tearing the trees to shreds without much effort.

Tension in her hands and arms doesn't stop and continues to her shoulders, back, and neck. Even her legs are tense and spread wide enough to be considered a fighting stance. My friend's tail is flicking about wildly and rustling the foliage around her feet. The final touch of her "feral" appearance is her complete nudity. Her nakedness allows me to see her neck for what it is. Sure enough, the curse she spoke of is there. Thick, flaky black skin is covering her neck where the burns once were.

 _Maybe I could look at it and see if it's a medical condition._

It'd be a shame if her eternal curse started when she was a babe with a skin condition.

"You're up early.". Her ears are completely flattened against her skull, so she must not hear me. I speak up a little and begin walking through the _crunching_ foliage towards her.

"You're up early!". Again, no response. I duck down underneath one arm and get in front of her.

"You're-". My words die before they pass my lips. My friend's face is contorted in the rage of a tiger that's found its hiding prey. Each gleaming fang is revealed and the muscles in her face are pulled in a way she looks like a beast fit to be hunted by the queen. Suddenly, her ears flip up. I cringe backwards, but the woman doesn't react. Her sightless eyes continue looking at nothing as her ears begin wildly flicking everywhere they can completely independent of one another. I'm not sure what I can do to help. All I can do is watch with terror in my heart as my frozen, enraged friend keeps seeing and hearing things that aren't there. What finally stops her is her claws _cracking_ through the trees and taking two gigantic chunks of wooden flesh out of the plants.

It doesn't snap her out of it, but it sends her stumbling forward and the woman begins swinging her head all around as she shambles forward like a zombie. I leap out of her way and decide protecting her from the forest while she's like this should be my first priority. I follow the woman as she slowly puts one tense foot in front of the other and scans the woods for undo threats. Finally, she finds something.

Every muscle is tense and all movements stop. Her wide, unseeing eyes settle on something in the foliage. I can't even react before she's pounced and shoved whatever she found in her gaping maw. When she stands and turns back to the camp, I finally see what's in her mouth. A spider the size of a rabbit with its head twisted around the wrong way. I begin gagging and desperately backwards walk to keep looking at the Khajiit while staying in front of her.

"Don't do that!". She ignores me.

"Alright, drop it!". I might as well be talking to the trees. Slowly, I begin reaching for the dead spider to remove it from her mouth. A _crunch_ and its gone down her throat. I heave and speak in a shaking voice.

"Alright, good to know you had breakfast.". The woman ignores me and we, thankfully, get to camp. The Khajiit collapses on her knees on her bed, then _thumps_ onto the rest of it directly on her face. My friend finally seems to wake up. I let out a sigh I didn't know I was holding when my friend flips over and I see her normal eyes looking at me. My friend is glaring, though.

 _Why's she glaring?_

"Why am I naked?".

 _Oh, that._

Alright, that's a fair question. I'd be nervous and have questions if I'd gone to sleep clothed and woke up naked. Probably doesn't help I was hanging over her when she woke up, though.

"That'll take some explaining.". Her glare intensifies.

"I woke up and you were naked yourself.". Instantly, her glare's gone.

"I did it myself?". I nod, but decide to give her more information. I can see how waking up and having someone tell you you stripped in your sleep could be confusing.

"You were walking around naked and acting weird. Like a dog that's heard something and can't find where the sound's coming from.". The woman closes her eyes and groans.

"I didn't do anything embarrassing, did I?".

 _You ate a spider the size of a small child in front of me and I nearly threw up._

"No. You just walked around growling, then went back to bed. I was just following you around to make sure you didn't fall off a cliff or something.". The woman nods without opening her eyes.

"I appreciate it.". She heaves herself up until she's standing.

"We should get heading out for the day. I,". She sighs and shakes her head as she begins walking around the general area. "need to find my clothes.".

* * *

My friend's back to being the warrior she was before her possession. At least, I _think_ she is. My friend returned to the camp not with her clothes, but an entire set of leather armor including the helm. The dark, supple material perfectly wraps all of her muscles and flexes whenever she moves. The armor is another layer of her skin that will protect her from everything short of a dragon. The only part of her armor I hate is the stupid helm that flattens her ears and looks like half of a bowl placed on her skull.

I didn't tell her that, though. I assured her she looked gorgeous in the armor she found in the middle of the woods, then said nothing more against my better judgement. Eating spiders and finding leather armor _just_ your size in the middle of the forest isn't a good sign. I believe Vaermina is at work here, but I don't say that to my friend. I still need to look at her skin condition and convince her that it's not some Prince at work on her. Doing that will be easier if she isn't worrying about the fact she ate a gigantic spider at Vaermina's command. Besides, there's another concern I have.

The Khajiit has Lucky tied to Cupcake, so she's leading us and I've been able to look at a map of Skyrim. The knight originally wanted to, but she's so unfamiliar with the province she couldn't even find where we are. So, I've been examining the map and have a good idea of where we are. We headed directly west from Falkreath, so we're in the royal forest of the Jarl of Falkreath. Thankfully, from what I've seen there's no prey to hunt, so we won't run into any guards or royalty trying to use these woods to hunt. Hopefully, if we're caught the Jarl won't care that we've taken one of his precious spiders. And, _technically_ Barbas took two of his squirrels.

Hopefully, we won't run into anyone and we'll be able to continue along the path I've planned for us. We'll swing through the entirety of the royal woods up into the Reach through its lower southwest side and take the main road to Markarth. Going through the entire thick, cramped woods possibly filled with predators will be tough, but it's easier that coming into the Reach through its north side. I lived in Markarth for years, I know the warnings of Forsworn and wild beasts wouldn't be heeded by the Khajiit and we'd most likely end up spending our time fighting if we came in through the north. Thankfully, when I say my plan aloud it sounds more appealing than I'd originally planned.

"I think it'd be best if we kept cutting through the woods until we get into the Reach. It'll be tougher, but quicker. And, we won't run into any of the bandits the Reach has to offer.". I hadn't thought about it, but the lack of bandits on our current route is exactly what the Khajiit wants. My companion further agrees.

"Sounds like the perfect route. Good job.". I smile a bit at having put her at ease. I'm not sure what's gotten into her, but I hope whatever's in Markarth can get it out of her. In the meantime, though, I try to just enjoy the ride through the forest with one of my closest friends. It's difficult riding that means the knight has to lead Cupcake over holes small enough to pass over, through large dips, and around dips or holes that would break his legs. It's even worse because she has to prepare for Lucky, a less experienced horse, to follow after Cupcake.

I'd originally complained she wouldn't let me just ride after her, but now I understand why. The hazards of the ground coupled with how close and thick the trees are means the horses are struggling to go anywhere at a decent pace. If I were riding Lucky by myself, then the horse would either have broken his leg or we'd be going less than a few feet an hour. Still, once I ignore how hard the woman's working it's easy to enjoy myself. I just have to look around the lush, alive forest and imagine what it's like to be a Jarl in her woods. I'm still imagining what it's like when the Khajiit screams and the horses bolt. It's all I can do to hang on and begin searching for an enemy. As we haphazardly charge through the woods I realize something that sends my spine shuddering.

 _There's nothing there._

* * *

 **Nair POV:**

"Snake, do you see anything?". My sister's iron armor is gleaming in her torchlight as she swings it back and forth near the thin woods we're standing in front of. Her purple scales have turned black in the torch's light and the red feathers that decorate her head look far too similar to blood for my liking. My sister's a grim sight, but she's the best tracker I know. All I saw when we exited Falkreath was some tracks, but Snake sees more. The way she's examining the ground and a specific tree attest to that.

"Two horses were tied here for an extended period of time. They stripped the lower branches bare, tore up the ground, and shit everywhere. Didn't have water, though. No wet ground or piss. Whoever owns them is going to have to get them to a stream to drink before they do anything else.". I look at the ground and tree and, sure enough, what Snake describes is there. And, there's only one stream close in this are and that's the one Falkreath gets its water from.

"So, you think heading to the river and checking it out could give us some more information.". Snake stands and shrugs her shoulders.

"I don't know. For all we know, these horses weren't even theirs. All we have to go on is they took two horses and someone tied two horses here. It's not a lot to go on.". I pat her on the back and begin walking into the woods in the direction of the river we had to cross to get here coming from the west.

"We'll find more at the river.".


	28. 1 Peter 5:8

**Vex POV:**

Riding Lucky is a living oblivion. I've wrapped my arms tightly around his throat and tightened my legs as hard as I can, but I'm still being bucked and rocked from side to side and up and down. My eyes are screwed shut and I'm doing my best not to think about the situation I'm in. I'm completely at the Khajiit's mercy and right now it doesn't seem like she has any. I've called out for her to slow down and stop for the past hour or so I'm guessing. She's either ignored all of my cries, or she can't hear me. Give how quiet the woods are, I'm guessing she's just decided to keep going and ignoring me. When we finally come to a halt it's all at once without any warning. I nearly go barreling off Lucky as the animal _slams_ into Cupcake's ass.

Both horses whinny and I almost tilt off the side of my steed. Barely, I manage to keep hanging on. Slowly, I adjust myself in the saddle as Lucky and Cupcake back away from one another. Finally, I'm able to sit up and see over Lucky's head. The Khajiit is frozen in her saddle and we've arrived at the edge of the woods. Before us, there's the mountainous expanse of the Reach. A twisting path leads through the rocky, barren land and that's all there is. Not a deer or stream in sight to give life to this oblivion of a province. I lived in this hold for almost twenty years, so I know exactly where we are and where this path leads to. I use this opportunity to take Lucky's reins back and ride up beside the Khajiit. The trees are a little further apart here, so our horses are barely able to stand side by side with our legs brushing.

"So, what was all that running for?". Thankfully, the woman has a good answer. At least, it's what _I_ think is a good answer. My thoughts might be bias though since I don't want the woman I liked to be a possessed madwoman.

"I saw some wolves' tracks. You can never be too careful. Besides, running meant our trail will be lighter and it'll be harder to follow.". It doesn't make much sense to me since there's a thousand ways wolves could be avoided or lost; though, I find myself silently accepting her logic without a single word against her. Instead, I just move along without addressing she nearly killed me dozens of times with low branches or holes Lucky barely tripped over.

"I can lead us to Markarth if you want.". The knight nods and I quickly ride Lucky in front of her. I'm still a below par rider and my thighs and hands are burning in agony from the rough riding I was forced to endure. I ignore all that and begin leading us through the rocky, grey land without a single word. Neither deer nor Forsworn greet us. We're in the southern Reach, so all we _should_ see is rocks, rocks, and more rocks. If we're _really_ lucky, then we'll see a brave tuft of grass growing in between the rocks.

We only begin seeing actual vegetation in the form of grass when we're almost to Markarth. Finally, two bridges and a path lined with grass greet us. I lead Lucky over the left bridge and past a few humble farms I've stolen from before. Thankfully, Markarth hasn't changed much. We're able to stable our horses in the humble rock stable, then take the steps up to Markarth. I motion for my friend to begin leading the way.

"Do whatever you have to do.". The Khajiit nods and enters the city. I follow her and watch her face. I've seen the city before. I know its towering stone walkways above, buildings carved directly into the mountains surrounding the city, and waterways running throughout the town. I even know the marketplace we've walked into and the modest stands set up in a rough circle. I want to know what the Khajiit thinks of my adopted hometown, though. Oddly, her eyes are glazed over- and she's gone again. I reach for the woman, but she moves before I can. A Breton man buying meat is suddenly torn to shreds as the Khajiit tears the Ebony Blade from her back and begins hacking him into slivers of meat.

I gag in my throat and rush to my friend. I expect the guards to charge and for us to be put to the sword. Instead, everyone begins relaxing and a woman buying jewelry from a nearby stand comes rushing up to us. The pretty, red-haired woman dressed in commoner's clothes grasps my friend by her unarmed hand and begins shaking it with all her might.

"That man was about to kill me! You saved my life!". She shoves a gleaming necklace into my friend's hand, keeps praising her, and only leaves when the jewelry merchant yells for her. The two begin talking as the bald man selling meat looks down on the corpse and shakes his head. My knightly friend turns to me with the biggest grin on her face I've ever seen. My face must still be stuck in a look of horror because the woman says something I'd never thought I'd hear.

"Did you see how I killed that murderer?". I splutter.

"He was just buying meat?!". The woman frowns and shakes her head.

"He was about to kill her.". The man selling meat agrees.

"He had a knife. He was going to kill that poor woman.". The Khajiit points at the man while putting the Ebony Blade up.

"See? He was going to kill her, but I killed him first. I saved a woman's life.". I just nod. I have no fucking idea what's gotten into everyone in this city, but I just roll with it. He might've had a knife I didn't see or something. At least, I _hope_ he had a knife I didn't see. Otherwise, everyone's treating that man's murder like he deserved it. Thankfully, everyone seems to have calmed down and the Khajiit and I can get back to what we were doing.

I follow the woman into the local inn and don't question her. We've been riding for hours, so resting for an hour or two before seeing the priest we have to see only makes sense. And, it'll give me a chance to examine her. I'd originally wanted to check the back of her neck and see if it was a skin condition, but now I want to check her entire body. Not in a "sexy healer" sort of way either. I want to legitimately see if there are medical conditions to explain her condition. A fever plaguing her throughout her entire life turned into a possession would be a shame.

Granted, Barbas and Mephala seem to believe that the Khajiit is possessed; though, they're Princes and could simply be lying to get their way. I'm snapped out of my current thoughts by the knight finishing paying at the bar in the middle of the room, then leading me through the crowded commons into a quiet hallway. The first room on the left proves to be ours. The bed and furniture are all stone, but the room's finely decorated and there are two beds at least. I look around the comfortable room as my friend shuts and locks the door. She begins stripping to take a quick nap, but I stop her.

"Can I examine you?". She turns her head to look at me and I can tell her ears would be popped up if her helmet wasn't squashing them down.

"In a medical sort of way.". Instantly, she's nodding. I can practically feel the hope and desperation in her eyes. In an instant, she's naked and standing before me in all her glory. Her arms are spread wide and her feet are firmly planted on the floor. First, I circle her to examine her back. I reach to feel her black, crisp skin on her neck and expect to feel an average skin condition. My touch freezes when I feel her. Dead, thick skin that has no warmth or hair on it. The only time I've seen skin like this is when a Khajiit cadaver was left in a bath too long and started bloating. There's no possible way this is a skin condition. This is skin directly from a corpse that's been placed on this woman. I can't tell her that. There's no way in oblivion I can tell her that.

"A skin condition. I don't know which, though.". A deep sigh leaves her and I feel the muscles below her dead flesh relax. My heart breaks as I begin examining her some more. I feel no more burns on her back, but when I move around to her to her stomach I feel odd wounds. Large divots of flesh have been removed and the wounds left to heal and make large craters in the Khajiit. My spine shudders as I remember the story she told me of how her Orc captor ate her and forced the knight to eat herself. Either the story wasn't a dream, or some sick fuck carved the Khajiit up while she was asleep.

"Crater wounds? Odd. Could be formed by battle or a rare genetic condition that makes your fat come in uneven.". Complete and utter lies that the Khajiit laps up like a cat would milk.

"Any other wounds or unholy signs you want me to check?". The woman's face is twisted, but she nods. Slowly, she grabs my wrists and brings my hands up to her mouth. She opens her jaws wide and I nod to show her I get the idea. She drops her own hands and I begin examining her mouth with my digits. Hopefully, she doesn't mind the taste. Everything feels normal. Her teeth are strong and sharp, and her mouth and flesh seem to have formed properly. I'm still feeling around when I find what she was worried around.

I'm running my fingers down the back of her front fangs when I notice her mouth keeps going. I don't have a way to explain it. Her mouth continues on down further beyond the teeth. A little excess space is expected, but the amount she has is ridiculous. I'm still running my fingers into the cold, slimy excess space when I feel the terror inside her mouth. Inside the bottom of her jaw, buried beneath flesh and muscle, is another set of teeth. I trace the teeth and realize they aren't a weird extract pair she's somehow grown.

The teeth hidden in her jaw below her real ones are those only a monster would have. Larger than Khajiit teeth have any right to be, sharp enough I can almost cut myself through a solid inch of fat, and large enough in number I'd expect only a shark to be able to rival the sheer amount. Carefully, I pull my fingers out of her mouth. I take a wild guess.

"Have you always had your claws?". She looks down at her hands, but I don't. I already know what I'll see. Tremendous knives that can rend meat from bone and crush skulls. The Khajiit confirms my fears.

"No. They came in and pushed my baby claws out while I was at the Orcs' castle. They told me it was part of puberty. Never bothered to ask anyone, though. Nobody said anything about it after I got back, and it never seemed that important to me.". Khajiit don't grow in second pairs of claws during puberty. Their claws regrow if they're cut, but if they're removed all the way from the base there's no possible way for the Khajiit to get their claws back. A second pair of claws growing in and removing the first set happens in less than one percent of the Khajiit population from what I've been told, and I know it's because of a genetic condition.

Somehow, I'm thinking the odds of the horror of a Khajiit standing before me having it are low. So, the woman before me has all the potential to be an absolute monster of legend. Teeth worthy of a shark, claws belonging on a tiger, and enough flesh mutilation to befit a prisoner of war. One of these things might be caused by a disease nobody's ever seen, but all of these can only be the work of a Prince. That's why my stomach drops as I tell her what I've found.

"Completely perfect. Everything's normal.".

* * *

 **Note: I'd like to apologize for the lack of update at a normal time. Due to bad weather conditions my internet has been down and I've just recently got it up again.**


	29. Merciful Death

I follow the monster in mortal flesh to Understone Keep.

 _I shouldn't think of her that way._

I really shouldn't. We spent about thirty minutes just lying together and kissing after my examination of her, so calling her a monster is more than hypocritical. Still, I make a mental note to watch her closely. I'd like to know if doing all of these Princes' biding will trigger any of her benign physical traits. Hopefully, it won't affect her. I have a feeling it will, though.

Sif ran scared for his life when he last saw his mistress. I can't tell the difference in her smell, but there might be something inside of her that's changed. I poked all around her stomach and back; I felt a few odd lumps and bumps, but warriors get those when they've battled for a while. For now, I pray to the Divines it's just some wounds from fighting rather than an indication of a monstrosity beneath her skin that I can't see. My horror only further grows when the Khajiit leads me perfectly to a priest hidden away outside the Hall of the Dead. The knight has no idea about the layout of this building, and yet she was able to go exactly where Barbas told her to go.

"She isn't talking to you anymore, is she?". What my friend says doesn't put me at ease.

"She is, but she can't hurt me anymore. It's just like a whisper behind my ear now.". A Prince whispering at you instead of screaming isn't exactly an improvement. I let it go, though. No reason to freak my friend out right now. Instead, I just listen to what she's saying to the priest outside the door to the Hall of the Dead.

"There's an incident happening inside the Hall of the Dead.". The man pales before shaking his head. I, meanwhile, begin scanning the knight and making mental notes of what she looks like. I want to know if she suddenly burst into a monster. Thankfully, she doesn't as the priest confirms her fears.

"There is. We've discovered that some of the dead have been... eaten. Flesh has been chewed off, bones were snapped to get at the marrow inside.".

 _Fuck this. I don't want to go somewhere where cannibals are. Cannibals would easily choose an Imperial over a Khajiit. Less hair in the food._

I snicker at my own joke and earn a glare from the priest. I fall silent as the Khajiit is handed a key to the Hall of the Dead. My friend tips her head in gratitude before entering the forbidden room. I quickly follow her. If there are cannibals inside here, then I'm staying next to the bigger piece of meat. And, I suppose it's my duty as her suitor to protect her from harm. The door _slams_ behind us and I nearly leap onto the Khajiit's back.

Or, more likely, it's _her_ duty to protect _me_. I calm myself just as a voice rings out.

"Not many would walk blindly into a crypt smelling of steel and blood, but not fear.". I begin smacking the Khajiit's back and whispering encouragements to her.

"Kill it! Kill whatever it is!". She's allowed her claws to come out and she's wildly looking around as she pushes deeper into the crypt.

"I am! Just let me find it!". The unseen person's voice keeps ringing out, and I realize they're talking directly to the Khajiit instead of both of us.

"I feel the hunger inside of you. Gnawing at you. You see the dead and your mouth grows wet. Your stomach growls.". I whisper to my friend.

"Is that true?". She swats at my hands and I stop smacking her. Her answer isn't a comfort to me.

"Eat enough dead people to get to their hearts and you'll start associating all corpses with food. Start thinking of corpses as food and everything goes downhill from there.". The voice seems to sense our conversation. At least, whoever it is realizes we're discussing the knight's previous experience eating people.

"It's all right. I will not shun you for what you are. Stay. I will tell you everything you have forgotten.". I grab my friend's arm and begin pulling.

"Let's _not_ stay! The last thing I want is you-". She isn't budging. I turn around to grab her arm over my shoulder and keep pulling. I'm greeted by a filthy, dirt-encased Breton in hide armor looking at me with her one eye. Every muscle in my body tenses. For some reason, I feel the need to finish my sentence in a hushed prayer. "eating people.". The Breton smiles and shows me hundreds of shark-like teeth. Instantly, I spin and the Khajiit and I trade places. I'm still grabbing her hand and facing away from her, but now she's facing the Breton. I stay silent and hidden as they talk. The _last_ thing I want to do is piss off a cannibal.

"You were young when you first tasted human flesh, weren't you? A brother or sister had died? An accident, of course. Then the hunger set in. Curiosity. What's the harm in just one bite? It's okay, now. You've found a friend who understands you. You can let go of your guilt.". I know it's none of my business since she's always had a Prince inside her, but I still listen. Thankfully, the first time she was actually a "cannibal" involved herself.

"I never ate a brother or sister. You're thinking of of me.". A small chuckle from the cannibal.

"Fair enough. Regardless, a lot of our kind block out the memory of their first meal. The shame is too much. But you don't need to hide anymore. Namira, the Lady of Decay, accepts you for what you are. She has a place for us, where we can sate our appetites without judgment.". I feel the Khajiit's hand tighten on mine. I don't try talking her away from this anymore. If she wants to do this, then I'll let her do this.

"Alright, I'll _bite_. Where's this place?". The Breton doesn't even hesitate to reveal her lair.

"It's inside Reachcliff Cave. But the dead have stirred from their slumber recently, and I was forced here. Meet me there. We will fight our way to Namira's embrace together.". I barely manage to flinch as the woman charges by me, then disappears into nothingness.

"I take it we're going to go to Reachcliff Cave?". I feel her nod against my back and sigh.

"I'd better be the one to take you to it, then. Trust me, I know the quickest way.". Following my swain until she gets lost in the mountains doesn't sound like a good time, and she thankfully agrees. The woman untangles herself from me and motions for me to guide the way.

"I trust you.". I don't answer her trust as I focus on getting us out of here, back down to the entrance of Markarth, and back on our horses. My thighs and hands still ache, but riding is the quickest way to get to Reachcliff Cave. I guide my friend across a river, up into the chilling mountains, and up to Reachcliffe Cave. The cannibal is sitting there waiting for her. I gently pull on Lucky's reins until he stops.

"You're sure that you want to do this?". I'm just checking to make sure my friend doesn't have any second thoughts. She doesn't.

"I'm sure. Trust me, I'll talk to her and see what I'm getting out of this.". The knight dismounts and ties our horses to a nearby rock. Then, we approach the cannibal. She waves a hand as we approach. The second we're there the Khajiit launches into a conversation with the woman.

"I take it that you already know who I am and the real reason I'm here?". The filth-encased Breton shows her teeth as she smiles and nods her head.

"You want a cure. I can't give you it, but I _can_ give you what you need to get the cure.". A stone forms in my stomach. For once, I have the strength to move my friend. She howls and kicks and screams as I begin dragging her away, but what stops me is the Breton charging. I release my friend and use her body to shield myself from the cannibal. I hear a high-pitched laugh as the Breton backs off and my friend's able to flip around to face me. She's an animal. Her eyes are completely black, her ears are pinned to her skull, and each fang is revealed to me as her face contorts in rage.

" _Sapphire_!". Her voice rings out, then the world falls silently. I can't help myself. I'm a wounded deer about to be captured by a lion. I cower like her prey and await my death while looking into my deepest friend's eyes. For once, the predator spares the prey. Slowly, her ears come up and her mouth comes down. I see the blackness in her eyes seep out in the form of tar-looking tears. My friend can't meet my eyes.

"Vex. I meant Vex.". If I was smart I'd leave the crazed woman and never come back. I'm not smart, though.

"Please. They're using you. Each Prince is going to have "one more task" to "help you get the reward". They've put you on a giant goose chase you'll never be able to finish.". Our conversation is interrupted.

"Why don't I give you one of the rewards before you've done the task I need?". I cower behind the Khajiit as the knight turns towards the Breton. The cannibal looks almost giddy as she speaks to my friend.

"I have four gifts for you. I'll give you the tool you need to face the final Prince and get your reward, I'll heal the wounds you sustained from consuming your own flesh, weaken Her presence in your mind, and give you a ring to make cannibalism even easier for you. Why don't I give you one now? You choose and I'll give it to you. Be warned, if you try to get out of the task, then I'll be able to strengthen Her presence in your mind. You'll be back to your first problem.". My friend looks at me. I love her. I'm not _in_ love with her, but I love her. I don't want my friend to suffer anymore. If two more Princes have to be served, then so be it. I'll save her soul after I save her body.

"Do it. Take whichever one you want.". The Khajiit turns towards the Breton.

"Alright, fine. Give me the tool I'll need to serve the final Prince, then use me to fix whatever problem you have. I won't fight, and I'll serve Namira.". The Breton has a downright spine-shuddering smirk as she leans forward and takes a step towards my friend. Carefully, she places her hands on either side of the knight's jaws. That's when my friend stops screaming.

The Breton cackles and backs away to let me get in front of my friend. I yell her name and reach for her. The knight jerks back and clutches her jaws while continuing to howl. Somehow, I manage to grab onto her arms, pull her hands away from her jaws, and see what's wrong. I gag at the sight of what's happening to my dearest friend.

Her teeth are rotting at a rate I've never seen before and either disintegrating, or falling out of her head all together. Each tooth I see follows the same pattern: bleed thick, black tarry blood around the gums; begin rotting away and leaving thin, brittle skeletons barely able to stand; either completely disappear into the air or weakly fall out of the woman's mouth; and leave a gaping, bloody hole where it once was. I drop the woman's arms and flip to the cannibal. I finally manage to stand up to her.

"You said you were going to help her!". The filthy woman's standing there with her arms crossed and a tremendous smile spreads across her face.

"I did.". She motions at the knight. Suddenly, her screaming stops. I flip around and expect to see a dead body or wounded woman. Instead, my friend's find. She's standing straight and looking at me with a beautiful smile on her face. I only wish the teeth inside her mouth didn't look like they belonged to a shark.


	30. Dan 7:6

**Knight POV:**

Vex looks at me with pure terror as I move my new jaw. It feels normal, but I can feel my teeth and jaw are different. Stronger, tougher, better. I run my tongue along my teeth and feel serrated hooks on the back of each one and wicked sharp tips at the end of each tooth. There's no doubt in my mind my fangs could rend flesh from bone without any effort now. Now I just need to see if I can talk.

"Vex.". She cringes, but my question is answered. My voice is still the same, though I have to speak softer for fear of cutting my tongue on one of my teeth.

"Yes?". I look over her shoulder at the cannibal still waiting for me. Her smile mirrors my own. Slowly, I move my lips over my new fangs. I feel the skin stretched more than normal, but I'm sure I'll be able to hide my teeth now when I return to civilization. Before I return to civilization, though, I need to take care of this business with the cannibal.

"Do you want to come with me into the cave?". Vex is still looking at my mouth with no small amount of horror as she nods.

"I already told you I'd follow you wherever you go. If that means you're going down into an ancient, abandoned cave to fight the undead, then that's where I'm going.". Another voice cuts into our conversation.

"I think it'd be best if we get going, then. We only have so many hours of daylight we can burn away by talking.". Vex backs away as I approach the cannibal.

"Alright, just follow me and don't try anything with Vex.". I turn and begin heading towards the cave.

"Wouldn't dream of it.". A _snap_ of teeth followed by Vex sucking in a hissing breath tells me a threat's been made. I hate to ignore it, but I have to. Pissing off Namira's puppet when I need her isn't a sound strategy for getting what I want, and Vex is a grown woman. If the cannibal tries to eat her, then I trust her to defend herself. Mentally, I begin berating myself as I realize Vex is _still_ in the torn jester outfit I met her in with only her dagger to defend herself. If she truly needed to fight someone, then my gold sure isn't going to be on her. I'll need to buy her a better weapon and armor as soon as I can lest I want my dearest friend to end up dead in a ditch.

My thoughts of Vex are sadly pushed to the back of my mind as I enter the cave. It's exactly what I expected a cave inhabited by cannibals to look like. Pitch dark, thick air, wet walls, and tiny pathways and "rooms". I suck in a breath filled with the stench of death and roll my eyes completely back inside my head. My ability to see in the dark activates and I'm able to walk down a slanting slope leading gently right to meet the first "room" of the cave. The rough oval-shaped area is flat as a board with another path directly across from where I'm standing.

Three shambling, decrepit dragur are wandering the dark area. All of them have shambling walks, sunken white eyes, and skin pulled taunt over their bones that sends a shiver up my spine. Their armor is dented and their swords are rusted, though. I _pop_ both of my hands and have ten weapons instantly at the ready. I charge the dragur before they can notice me. I _rip_ one's throat out, then slash another across the face. I smile a little at the feeling of soft, mortal flesh tearing beneath my claws like bread being pulled apart. Even the splash of blood that soaks my hands and lower arms is a welcome feeling for some reason. The final dragur dies when Vex and our cannibalistic companion attack it as one.

All three of us are soaked in thick, black blood that clings like tar, but I ignore that. It's easy to just put my claws away and shake my hands a little, then put it out of my mind. Sadly, I don't get to participate in the next fight. Vex takes the lead and the cannibal charges right after her. When I finally arrive in the square, dark burial room with slots for bodies lining all walls, ten or so dragur are already dead on the ground. Both Vex and our newest member are soaked in the dead's blood from the crowns of their heads to the soles of their feet. The cannibal even managed to somehow smear her backside in the blood and guts of the dragur.

I decide to ignore my dripping companions and instead guide the way to the inner sanctum. A small, thin path hidden in a dark alcove guides me down a twisting hallway to a small passage in the cave. I step past the border and realize I'm standing in a stone room made by mortals and not nature. An iron door in front of me tells me I've reached the final sanctum of Namira. I await my companions, then open the door when they arrive. A long dining room with an empty table greets me. Quickly, I scan the are and already see enemies arising. Coffins lining both walls _burst_ apart as a dragur at the head of the table rises. The sound of shattering coffins coupled with the groans of the dead are enough to work me into a frenzy.

My claws come out and I fall to the ground in an unfamiliar but natural stance. I feel my lips pulling back on their own accord and a deep, low growl passing my lips. I bound wildly around the room towards whatever undead abomination catches my attention in a frenzy: my claws rip their soft skin apart with a wonderful _rrr_ sound; cold, black blood soaks my entire being as dragur explode whenever I maul them; and freezing, mushy flesh is mashed between my teeth as chunky blood runs down my throat. I consume whatever bit of dragur passes my lips with reverence worthy of worshiping a Divine.

I only realize the battle's over when I arise from the floor covered in blood, bits of guts, and filth. I turn towards the entrance and see the cannibal and Vex awaiting me. Both of them have completely different expressions on their faces. Vex's eyes are wide, her forehead pulled up, and her mouth slightly gaping at my deeds. Overall, it's not a flattering expression and it reminds me of the fear I'd see on a deer's face when she realizes I've caught her. The cannibal, however, looks overjoyed. A smile is revealing all of her teeth and causing her eyes to squint slightly. The cannibal is the first to move.

She begins walking towards me with her arms outstretched for a hug. I can't help myself, I fall right into that trap. I wrap my arms around her and we both squeeze tight. Blood and filth are exchanged between us as the woman whispers in my ears.

"Welcome, sister.". She pulls back with the same smile on her face, though her words are anything but comforting.

"You've done it. The shrine is ours again. Now we need to prepare a grand feast to welcome you to Namira's coven. You will have the honor of bringing a fresh kill for the main course. And I know the perfect person.". I nod. If I have to eat someone for Namira to stop eating people for Her, then so be it. One little killing to eventually serve the Divines true is better than living my life unable to serve my gods.

"There's a priest, filled with the taste of an easy life. Brother Verulus, from Markarth. Give him this gold.". I feel the woman tie a hefty sack of gold to my belt and nod.

"Tell him you need Arkay's help exploring an old cavern for treasure. And when he stands in Namira's presence, she will take care of the rest.". I nod and pull back. However, I can't help my next question.

"Will anyone in Markarth look at me funny for being covered in this?". The woman shakes her head.

"The people of Markarth have seen worse. Besides, what are they doing to do? Wash you? Complain at how much you reek?". A scoff from the cannibal.

"You were baptized for Namira in the blood and bone of the dead who defiled her shrine. Don't be ashamed of it, wear it with pride. Filth and decay will bring you closer to our Lady.". I don't want to get closer to "our Lady", but I don't tell her that. Instead, I grasp her by the shoulders and shake her like she's an old friend.

"I'll return with dinner soon enough. Try to get the table set nice. Wouldn't want our guest to go without, would we?". A cackle that causes my tail to flick before I release the woman and walk past her. Vex visibly cringes, but I wait until we've taken a hidden, secret passage barely big enough to fit in out of the cave to talk to her. I blink in the bright sunlight and turn off my ability to see in the dark while turning around to speak to Vex. She's keeping a neutral expression and I'm briefly tempted to try contacting Her to discover what's going on with Vex.

I don't, though. She keeps whispering how She can still help me if I ask Her, but I've never actually willingly reached out and asked Her for help, so I don't plan on starting now. The only way I'd actually ask Her for help is if it's life and death. Not being able to tell exactly what Vex is feeling isn't life or death, and I can find out what's going on inside her head easily enough by asking.

"You okay with what happened in there?". Vex looks at me in silence for a long, long time until I'm starting to feel uncomfortable.

"You didn't really know what you were doing during that last fight, did you?". I snort a little and feel my ears come down to my head. I can't help myself by being slightly an ass. I cross my arms before raising one hand up towards Vex.

"I didn't know what I was doing? Of _course_ I knew what I was doing! I'm a trained knight of-". She shakes her head.

"You weren't fighting dragur. You were _mauling_ them. If you'd been naked, then I would've thought you were a wild saber cat in the middle of being frenzied.". My hands fall back to my sides and my ears come up. My voice is small and I feel my own teeth _scrape_ against one another as I speak.

"What?". Vex takes a step towards me and I see the wetness gathering in the corners of her eyes.

"You were on all fours like an animal. You roared as you tore them apart and ripped them to shreds like they'd offended your ancestors. Did you not see the bodies? They were smears of blood by the time you were done with them. You sat there eating them for what seemed like forever, and whenever I went to stop you you'd growl and snap at me until I got away. Your eyes were all black and your claws tore the ground beneath you to rubble. Please, tell me you remember. Tell me you recall some semblance of what you did to the bodies.". I swallow and close my eyes.

I feel full and I _am_ coated in quite a bit of the dead for someone who just ate the few pieces I'd get in my mouth by biting them. I lick my lips and teeth and taste a disgusting, slimy taste that can only come from something long dead. I can't remember anything other than flashes of fighting, though. Granted, what I remember is pretty... intense. I nod and try to put Vex at ease.

"I remember. I don't know what came over me.". Vex looks terrified, but I'm not sure if it's at me or for me.

"Please, I don't know what came over you back there, but try to avoid fighting. Can you do that? I don't want you to go into that and never come out of it. _Please_.". I reach out and pull Vex to me. She grumbles at the feel of more blood and gore being rubbed on her, but quiets when I wrap my arms around her.

"I promise.".


	31. A Small Price to Pay for Eternity

**Vex POV:**

I follow the woman I'm courting to a man she fully intends to murder. We find the priest buried deep, deep inside the bowels of the Understone Keep asleep in his stone bed. My friend doesn't even wait for the man to rise. She rips him from his bed without a word and practically flings him against the wall. If I were a stronger woman I'd get in front of the Khajiit and put this madness to an end. Unfortunately, I'm a weak, weak woman who just wants my knight to be free of her Prince. So, I watch as my friend flashes her fangs and, when that doesn't work, a bag of gold at the priest to get him to come with us.

The lamb eagerly follows at the promise of gold. He even prattles on about how much fun our adventures will be as he follows a literal lion to his doom. I always hang back and watch them. Already, I see something changed in the Khajiit knight. Her stride was always confident and wide. Originally, when I first saw her I thought it was her cockiness and attitude of "I'm better than everyone else". Then, when I learned she had a Prince inside her I thought the walk was her own way of pumping herself up and trying to boost her own confidence. Now, however, that confident stride is gone. In its place is the walk of a predator. Head lower than normal, stance too wide, and almost pounding steps that shake the ground if I get too close to her. The most concerning part, though, is her tail and ears.

Argonians kick their tails around all the time when they walk and let them swing wildly whatever way they go, but Khajiit aren't like that. When Khajiit learn to walk they develop a control over their tails that Argonians can't match. When a healthy Khajiit walks there might be a little sway in their tail, but it _never_ gets kicked around like an Argonian's tail. Khajiit have complete mental control over their appendage and prefer keeping it flowing and smooth whether they're running or walking. Kicking it or flailing it would be bothersome and painful. The knight's tail is currently swinging wildly from side to side.

She's either gotten her spine hurt enough that she can't control her tail (incredibly unlikely unless she sat on it when I wasn't looking), or she's acting like an actual feral cat. A real feral cat with a low head that's crouched down with a wagging tail and flattened ears is obviously hunting. The same goes for the Khajiit. In combat I've seen my friend flatten her ears (an instinct) and begin stiffening or wagging her tail (another instinct), but I've never see her do this with her tail outside of combat.

Always, the woman's acted almost as if she doesn't _have_ a tail. She just pushes it to the side or ignores it completely. Oblivion, I've never even _seen_ her do anything with her tail before this exact moment. A calm, controlled Khajiit like my friend _isn't_ supposed to be like this. If she were naked I doubt anyone in this city could tell the difference between her and a saber cat that learned to walk on two legs. Even now, as we exit the city, she still looks like a literal tiger on the prowl. My friend shifts her hands and I see her claws are fully out and prepared to strike. I call her name. She flicks her head back and I see her pupils are barely slits.

"Yes?". I mumble an excuse and she turns back around to focus on guiding us back to the cave where the cannibal is awaiting us all. I can't help the rock forming in the pit of my stomach. Khajiit can't "go feral" since they aren't actually animals, but a Khajiit that loses their mind can become as dangerous as any wild animal. If my friend were to lose it in the cave, then there's no way in oblivion I could stop her from slitting my throat.

I suck in a deep breath and clear my head of such negative thoughts. My friend is a competent and strong woman. She's not going to do crazy just because she's a little tense. The knight's just a little on edge at the moment, but it'll pass and she won't walk like she's looking for something to kill and eat raw. Still, I watch her and can't help noticing the way she drops to all fours to climb up a steep ridge or uses her claws to grab onto a rock and pull herself the last few inches.

My concern for her only grows when she leads the priest back down into the cave. Sure enough, our cannibal friend awaits us. She opens her arms wide and the knight greets her like an old friend. The two hug and laugh before the Khajiit pulls away and walks off to the side. The table has multiple guests already arrived, but my friend doesn't stand by them. Rather, she goes off to the side and I follow her. I'm forced to watch in a mix of horror and relief as the priest steps forward, looks at the cannibal, and panics.

"Who... who are you? What's going on?". The cannibal steps forward. I reach for the Khajiit's hand. Muscle and claws wrap around my hand and I squeeze. She squeezes back harder.

"Priest of Arkay. I'm your friend.".

"You're my... friend...". I turn. I can't watch this anymore. The Khajiit pulls me to her chest. We're still covered in dried blood and guts, but that doesn't stop me from burying my face deep into her stinking, wet robes.

"Yes. I'm your friend, and I've invited you to dinner.".

"I've been invited to dinner... I'm so hungry...". I rest my ears against my beau's chest. I hear her mortal, living heart beating beneath her fat and muscle. For a moment, I can drown out the horror by listening to her life.

"Why don't you lay down and rest, while we get the meal ready?".

"I need to lay down. I'll just be a minute...". The conversation drops off. Then, I hear feet beginning to move. A familiar, heavy presence appears behind me. I try to focus on listening to my belle's heart.

"Come with me. Our feast is about to begin.". The cannibal's footsteps go away. I wanted this, but I still find my eyes blurry as I pull back to look at the Khajiit.

"Please, don't do this.". She looks at me with equally wet eyes, and her voice is softer than I've ever heard it before despite the teeth.

"I have to.". She leans in for a kiss. It's awkward given her new fangs and the taste of death on her tongue, but I allow it. I pull her close to me and grab her fur and taste as much of the woman as I can. I suck in the essence of her and hold it close to my heart to never let it go. I don't know what might happen up at that altar, but I don't want the woman I know to die and a monster to take her place. I'm not a fool, though. I could very well get a monster crawling back to me from the altar. In that case, I'm going to treasure this last kiss, hold her memory close to my heart, and never forget the good times we had together. All good things have to go wrong for me one way or another.

Losing her at the altar would not only be ironic given I was the one pushing her to do this, but also fitting given the fact she's eaten people before. Regardless of my feelings, the Khajiit eventually pulls back and all I'm left of her is the taste of her sins on my tongue. A coward would turn away. I'm no coward. I watch as the woman I admired most goes up to the twisted, vile altar of Namira where the cannibal eagerly waits and the priest slumbers. It's hard to hear them this far away, but if I strain my ears I can make out what the cannibal says to my friend.

"The meal is on Namira's table. Go ahead. Carve.". I force myself to watch as the Khajiit's ten daggers gleam in the torchlight. A single downward slash of both hands is all it takes to rob a man of his life. The priest dies without crying out or twitching. If I didn't know better I'd think he was still sleeping. Once again, I strain my ears as the cannibal speaks.

"He looks so... sweet. Go ahead. Have the first bite.". I keep watching and feel my stomach clench as the knight feasts like a starved woman. No hesitation or revulsion. She tears and _cracks_ and rips into the man without a single ounce of guilt. I see her rip out his heart which beats black in the torchlight, his intestines like thousands of thin white worms, and his stomach that takes some help to hold up from the cannibal. She devours each and licks her fingers and laps at his blood like a kitten with milk. When she's done the knight's panting and awkwardly shifting from side to side in discomfort. For a while, she stands and looks at the statue of Namira and mouths words at it.

 _Shit, she's talking to another Prince._

I don't have time to worry about that. The cannibal wastes no time and doesn't even take my friend's discomfort into consideration as she moves things along when Namira and the knight are done "talking". She drags the Khajiit down to me and makes the woman turn to face her. Carefully, I back away a few steps to let them do whatever they're going to do. It turns out it's the Khajiit's rewards. A small ring is passed into her hands and the cannibal explains.

"To make cannibalism easier for you, and to give you a little more stamina. Now, come here.". She opens her arms for the Khajiit. Slowly, my friend steps into her embrace. The cannibal gently kisses my friend in the middle of the forehead before pulling back.

"She can't talk to you now. She's still with you, but you won't be able to hear her. She can give you signs through other means, but not directly talking to you. Now, for your last gift.". My friend cringes as the cannibal falls to her knees. Instantly, I snicker as I imagine a joke about cannibals and oral sex. Then, my snicker stops when the cannibal begins undoing the knight's belt that holds her robes up. Thankfully, my friend has enough sense to stop it.

"Hey! What're you doing down there?". She puts her hands on the cannibal's head and begins pushing. The cannibal keeps undoing her sash.

"I need to get to your crater wounds!".

"Oh, sorry.". I sigh in relief as the knight releases her hold on the cannibal. Quickly, her furry stomach is revealed to the cannibal and myself.

"Now, this might hurt... a lot.".

"Wh-". My friend screams as the cannibal bites deep into her stomach. I fly across the room and the knight and I both begin fighting to get the cannibal off. It's no use, the cannibal is attached like a tick. I'm forced to hear a _crunch_ as the cannibal begins feasting. Then, my curiosity consumes me. I look down. The cannibal's head is turned sideways and her jaw is unhinged like a fucking snake's. Her shattered, tremendous fangs are pushing into my friend agonizingly slow. Blood is flowing like a geyser as thick, white fat is beginning to reveal itself. Then, all at once, a ear-shattering _crunch_ rings out and that's it. The cannibal pulls back and begins happily chewing on my friend. The knight is the first one of us to react.

" _You bitch! You-_ ". My friend stops. Slowly, she begins wiping at the blood the cannibal left behind. Normal skin reveals itself without the slightest wound or crater shape. The Khajiit and I look at each other. Slowly, we both remove our hands from the cannibal's head. The cannibal looks up at us and smiles as she swallows my friend.

"One down, four left to go.". The Khajiit groans as the cannibal lunges.


	32. Catching a Scent

**Nair POV:**

"Any sign of them?". Snake is crouched low in the underbrush looking at the remnants of what she thinks was once our sister's camp. Two areas of dirt stomped down in the shapes of beds, an area destroyed by horses, and some bones of two squirrels are the only clues she has to go on, but it's enough. Smart-Snake is clever enough that when she stands it's with Cupcake's white fur clutched in her hand.

"It was definitely them. They headed northwest from here, though I can't tell you where.". I pull out a map and examine it for any clue as to where my birth sister could have gone. I find where we are and realize there's only one major city in the direction she's heading.

"Markarth.". Snake doesn't argue as she pulls up my large destrier and her slick, smaller courser. Already, I see a problem. My larger horse is meant to carry me in official tournaments and to carry large, metal supplies of mine. He's gigantic, and he can't navigate these woods. His long pelt is covered in burs, he threw a shoe yesterday, and his face is scratched up from the branches he's been hitting. Snake's courser has a short pelt, no shoes, and is short enough the branches don't bother her. Even now the courser looks at ease and relaxed in a foreign, dangerous forest. I'd like to trade steeds with Snake and go find my birth sister, but I already know there's no chance in oblivion of that happening.

Snake loves her horse and I love mine, though separation anxiety isn't why changing animals wouldn't work. My destrier is named Shadow, and calling him a "stubborn son of a bitch" is an understatement. He won't listen to anyone besides me. Oblivion, he doesn't even listen to _me_ half of the time. Snake's horse is smart enough come to the name "Wind", and she's even worse than Shadow.

She won't even allow anyone who isn't snake to touch her reins. Originally, we'd both thought we'd been given tough, aggressive horses as tests. Then, when my birth sister and Snake's adopted sister got the sweet and gentle Cupcake, we realized we'd just been given shitty lots and Shadow and Wind weren't some mystic test. Though, at the moment, I wish they were because they're the reason we have to split up. Thankfully, Snake suggest it before I can.

"I can take Wind and get to Markarth before you. I won't be able to stop her if she tries to leave, but I can stall until you get there.". I look towards my sister. Her feathers are softly rustling in a growing breeze as her scales become a darker, deeper purple in the dying sunlight. I need to send her off now so she'll have some time to put some distance between us before it's the dead of night.

"Go. Take Wind and find our sister as quick as you can. Just _don't_ go near Vex. That woman's twice as clever as the Daedric Princes themselves.". Snake nods before mounting Wind and charging away.

* * *

 **Smart-Snake POV:**

When I was little, I used to dream of growing up to be like my big sister. She was the finest damned swordsman I'd ever laid eyes on, she could shoot a target from across an entire city, and nothing could get pasted her shield. That was even before the knightly tournaments began. My Khajiit sister was a monster on her gigantic, enraged stallion and her jousting stick always shattered before the tournaments were over. All of that wasn't taking into account her haughty, solo attitude that make me think she was the toughest bitch in the world. It was only latter I found out she was only amazing because of a deep, intense rage that burned inside her and a Prince that whispered inside her head. I'd pitied her from then on out.

Nobody could bring themselves to love her besides a husband she was sold off to, and even he ended up leaving her when old age killed him. When I'd heard of Vex I'd been thrilled regardless of the fear my brother felt. Now, however, I see I was wrong. Vex is leading our possessed sister down a dark, dangerous path that will only lead to her destruction. I've never been allowed to be the hero before. I've always been the squire patiently waiting in the background for her siblings to get done. Oblivion, I _prefer_ it that way. Now, I _have_ to be a hero. Vex is a mastermind according to my brother, and I'm sure she could disappear completely with my sibling if she suspected me of trying to rescue her. I'm _not_ going to let that happen.

My sister's always rude, sarcastic, and bitchy to me. Considering the Prince inside her and the life that was stolen from her, I'll forgive her abrasiveness. She's never gotten a chance to be anyone other than the "possessed girl" everyone whispers about. Nair and I are going to fix that; then, my sister will have an entire lifetime to get to know herself. And, Nair and I will have a lifetime to bond with the sibling we've never met. First, though, I need to save her from Vex. I begin riding Wind a little harder.

The horse is doing the best she possible can given that night's fallen by now, but I keep pushing her. I trust her not to step into any holes or ride off any cliffs. Besides, only the Divines know what torture Vex is putting upon my sister. I push my steed even harder as I trace a familiar scar on the back of my right lower arm. It's a reminder of the love my sister has for me. Once, the Prince took control of her when she was alone. She'd chained herself in her room and locked every entrance while thinking nobody would be home since their was a tournament going on. I'd gotten a headache and got home in time to hear her screaming and thrashing. I'd busted down the door expecting to find some robber or bandit harming my sister in some terrible form to bring on the horrendous, terrifying sound that was coming from her.

It turns out she'd broken through her chains and, in retribution for her disobedience, the Prince inside her had caused her to feel as if she was being eaten alive. At least, that's what she told me later. When I'd entered, she attacked me like a wild beast. I remember being punched and headbutted, but her claws never came out until the very end. A single scratch down my arm before my sister took her hand between her jaws, then crushed her own fingers to keep from harming me. I'd been hurt-obviously-but not nearly as hurt as my sister.

She sacrificed herself for me and fought against her Prince to make sure I lived. She was forced to stay in the infirmary for weeks afterwards to heal both her hand and her mind. I was offered something to make sure her claw marks didn't scar and my scales would grow back normal. I denied it and tried to make sure it left a mark. I needed to remember how much my sister loved me. She's the biggest bitch in the world at times, but she'll fight against the entire universe to keep me safe. Now it's my turn. I need to do what she did that day: stand against the world and don't back down. My stomach's queasy and my spine shudders a bit, but I force myself to keep riding quicker and quicker through the woods. I need to get to my possessed sibling before it's too late. Before I lose her once again.

* * *

 **Vex POV:**

"You're going to rip your fur out.". I'm drying my hair with a towel as I give my friend some advice. She completely ignores me and continues trying to scrub the blood and guts from her thick, long pelt. Sure enough, after a few seconds of hard scrubbing her fur _rips_ and the Khajiit howls in pain. When she crawls from the water she looks like a drowned rat, and a huge chunk of her pelt from her chest is bloody and hanging off. Thankfully, I was prepared for this. I put my towel to the side, pick up the shears I brought, and approach my friend. She grumbles, but remains still as I begin carefully cutting away her pelt.

The woman has never taken care of her pelt and it's clear from the looks of it that it's been that way her entire life. The skin below her fur is red and irritated, each fur ends in a split, and the coloring of the underneath part of her fur is off. Though, I'm not sure if all that's because she doesn't take care of her pelt, or because she has a Prince inside her. Regardless, she needs attention paid to her fur. And, getting the woman I'm courting a little less hairy is always nice. Now I'll be able to feel her skin without the layer of her fur in between, and her feminine curves will no longer be hidden by her fur.

Quickly, I find out the woman I'm grooming like a literal animal is more hard, corded muscle than feminine curves. The beast I end up freeing from a large majority of her fur is more lean muscle and corded tendons than curves. Though, when she rises I see the suggestion of where curves _could_ be. I bite my lip a little before saying what I want to say.

"You seem a bit more... muscular than the last time I saw you naked.". She shrugs like it couldn't matter a she looks at her new fur. I've completely rid her torso of fur, trimmed the upper parts of her thighs and arms, and feathered her tail like that of a fancy dog's. The shaved parts and trimmed parts were done because of how much blood and guts were stuck to her. The feathered tail was done because I think it looks pretty. The woman admires my work while feeling her untouched head. She looks a bit silly with her neck and head still having a thick, wild mane of fur. I don't tell her that. Instead, I listen as she brushes off my concerns.

"You just didn't notice before.". I sigh as she dresses and leaves. Silently, I follow her back to our room at the inn. My knight thought it best if we got some rest before heading up to Winterhold to speak to Azura. It sounds perfect to me because I not only want us to be safe, but I also want to put off my knight having to talk to another Prince for as long as possible. Thankfully, when I agreed with her it was decided we'd rest in Markarth rather than taking our chances on the road. We return to our dark, warm room and get in our separate beds. I quickly find out I'm getting screwed over in this deal. My blankets and pillow are sufficiently warm and soft, but my bed is made out of pure stone. I look over and see the Khajiit relaxed deep into a mattress that _can't_ be stone.

"You have an actual mattress?". A grunt of confirmation as she snuggles down further into its softness.

"Share!". A shake of her head.

"Chivalry. I can't risk testing my resolve around you with the Prince still inside me. I might try something, or-worse-you might let me do something.". I rise and begin shoving her over.

"Fuck chivalry! You've killed people, it's fine to sleep in the same bed as the woman you're courting!". She hisses and digs her claws in as I grab whatever part of her body I can reach to properly push and pull on her in an attempt to earn my spot in her bed. In the end, I win in a way. I manage to force her over long enough that I slide deep into her soft, warm bed with covers over me and a pillow below my head. There's still a sword in between us since the knight's a damned knight, but I end up getting to sleep in the same bed as her and share in her rich warmth that sinks into everything around her. And, it's definitely a huge improvement over the stone slab I was sleeping on all by myself. I just can't relax my back without getting poked.


	33. Pray for the Dead

We're pushing eastward when it happens. We'd just set up camp along the side of a cliff with a stream to our side when I notice it. The presence of something at our camp. I look at where I believe whatever's looking at me to be. Sure enough, Sif is standing atop the shortish cliff that guards our camp from wind and rain. His dark eyes are scanning the ground, his body tense and tail shuddering.

"Sif?". I whisper his name as softly as I can. The gigantic wolf looks down at me. His ears flatten and he whimpers in a high, pained voice.

"Sif, come here boy.". My voice is still a whimper. The wolf hears me, though, and comes bounding down the rocky crag to me. The beast is as big as a horse with daggers for teeth, but I allow him to lick my hand with his rough, scratchy tongue before nuzzling my palm for petting. I scratch his thick, dirty-feeling fur as I look at the makeshift shelter the Khajiit built for us and what she's currently still putting together. Next, I look up towards the sky and see stars beginning to appear in the dusk.

If I'm quick, then Sif can disappear into the night and his mistress won't know the difference. I'm about to shoo him away when I hear a _grr_ resonate form Sif's gut. I'm a somewhat competent vet, so I quickly press my fingers against Sif's stomach. The wolf has lost weight since I last saw him, his stomach significantly smaller and his waist unhealthily small. I pull my hands away from Sif, rubbing dirt off them as I do. I look at the wolf's soft, gentle eyes. Once, I hated the beast and wanted him gone. Now, however, I feel almost _bad_ for him.

"You don't know how to hunt, do you? Your mom always gave you food, then your mistress did the same.". Sif licks his lips as he looks at me. Then, he does something I don't expect. He sits down on his ass, heaves himself up, and tucks his front legs up to his chest. He's taller than me sitting on his ass, but when I look up at him I see his ears flattened and his snout pointed down to his chest. He offers me his softest eyes as he whimpers. I sigh.

"Alright, I'll get you some food, but then you need to go. Your mistress would be heartbroken if she saw you.". Sif falls back down to the ground, his tail wagging faster than I thought was even physically possible. Our supplies are beside the fire a few feet from me, but I'm still paranoid enough to watch the tent where the Khajiit is working as I get a bag of food. I dig out some uncooked beef and toss it to Sif. The wolf swallows it in one bite and is ready for more when I toss him some chicken. Chicken, beef, pork, and salmon all disappear down the wolf's gullet until I'm sure he's eaten enough. I put the sack away _just_ as the Khajiit yells for me.

"Vex, you forgot to back your sleeping bag! I _told_ you you'd forget it!". Sif tenses and begins quivering. I speak to my friend as I watch Sif for his reaction.

"I know, I'm sorry.". The wolf looks towards the tent. Slowly, he begins shuffling his paws like he's about to go and run towards his mistress. He even begins edging towards the tent.

"Well, just don't forget it next time. Did you ever put that armor I got you on?". Sif freezes and brings a single one of his front paws up into the air. He begins pawing the air and lightly touching the ground. I quickly realize the wolf is trying to force himself to take a step forward.

"Yeah, I put the leather armor on. Thank you.". A grunt from the Khajiit. Suddenly, everything I was trying to do is ruined. The knight comes out of the tent and sees Sif. Her voice is barely a whisper.

"Sif.". The wolf tucks his tail between his legs and pisses on it. I see the beast shaking as he keeps trying to shuffle towards the Khajiit. My heart breaks for both of them. Sif is trying to return to a mistress he's terrified of. I can see he wants nothing more than to run to her, but his sheer terror is holding him back. The knight drops to one knee and holds her arms out wide. Her voice is tremendous as she yells.

"Sif!". The wolf is gone. He doesn't even run or try to find a way away. He leaps and practically flies to the top of the cliff in one go. His claws dig into the stone at the top, his back legs practically whirling as he tries to push himself over the top of the cliff.

"Sif...". The Khajiit looks crushed. She's still kneeling, but now her arms have fallen to her sides as her hurt face looks up towards where her wolf ran off to. Sif _finally_ gets over the edge of the cliff. He's silent as he disappears. I look towards my knight. She's risen, but she's looking towards the ground with her arms crossed. I go to her without hesitation. The woman lets me pull her into my arms. Her face buries itself in the crook of my shoulder as her arms wrap around me. She doesn't cry, but I can feel the heaving of her body that tells me she wants to. I try comforting her as best I can.

"It's alright. He probably still smelt Barbas and that cannibal girl on you. You can't be blamed for that, you did what you had to.". I feel her hug me even tighter. Sif truly looked like he wanted to come back and was only held back by fear, but I don't tell her that. Telling her the wolf is lonely and wants to come back won't help her. Instead, I try to keep her thinking on the positive side of things.

"He'll come back one day. After this is all over and you take a deep, hot bath to get the stench of Daedra off you. Trust me, he's not going to run off and go feral.". His inability to hunt for himself assures that. Slowly, the Khajiit loosens her grip on me. Her voice is rough and croaking as she speaks.

"You really think so? You really think I'll be able to get him back?". I'm not sure what to think about the situation with Sif, but that isn't important right now. What's important is making sure the woman I like is going to be okay with what's happening. So, I hold her close, keep whispering meaningless comforts to her, and begin guiding her to our makeshift tent. I find our single sleeping bag unzipped and spread out to make a sleeping mat big enough for two people. Gently, I begin undoing the knight's armor. Her face is red and puffy, her eyes are watering, and she's shaking, but she lets me. The armor was just some steel she bought from the smith in Markarth after she did some testing and found out the wounds on her back no longer stop her from wearing her knightly armor.

Sadly, her knightly armor is bad in her wagon with the parade of knights; so, this steel is the best she could do with the coin in her pocket. I notice the steel is gleaming, but untested as I take it off her and place it down on the ground in a careful pile. The Khajiit is left in her white undershirt and off-white underpants when I'm finally done with her. She wipes her nose on her arm as she gently lays down on the sleeping mat. I take off my own leather armor, then kneel down beside her. I keep the Khajiit facing away from me as I wrap my body and arms around her.

I want to offer the knight as much comfort as I possibly can in this trying time. I gently move my hands beneath her shirt to touch her soft, fuzzy belly. No more weird bumps or scars for me to feel. Just smooth skin and soft stubbly fur. I keep rubbing her stomach until she begins turning in my arms. I assist the woman in turning until she's facing me. Her face is still wet and flushed when she presses her lips against mine. I pull back a little even with my eyes already sliding closed.

"You're sure?". I feel her nod her head. I allow the next kiss she tries for to land. Her lips are still a little funky to kiss since I have to adjust mine to fit, but they're wet and soft just like any other woman's. I move my hands along her sides and to her back and begin running the pads of my fingers up her spine. A soft gasp falls across my lips before she's right back to kissing me. Hesitantly, I open my mouth a little. The Khajiit does the same in response. Carefully, I allow my tongue to gently explore her new mouth. I feel each and every fang before running my tongue across the roof of her mouth. She bites down _just_ soft enough she doesn't draw blood. Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt like a son of a bitch, though.

I pull my tongue back in my own mouth and feel her follow mine across the gap. Her rough, scratchy tongue mimics what I just did to her, sending shivers up my spine and causing my hands to fist in her back's short fur. I'm not sure how long the Khajiit and I just lie there and get lost in one another, but she's the one who pulls back first. Her ears are flattened and her eyes are still watery.

"No better?". She shrugs a little as she answers me.

"Maybe?". I lean over and kiss her between the eyes. I offer her some advice while still cuddling with her.

"You don't have to be okay. You had your friend you survived the wild with run away from you. I have no idea what you're feeling right now, but it can't be good. If it takes some time for you to be alright, then that's fine. Take all the time you need. I'll still be here.". The knight moves downwards a little and buries her face in my chest. I'm only wearing a binding for my breast, but I allow it. I think she's taking comfort from our skin touching more than anything else. I'm proven right when the Khajiit's breathing begins to even out.

I rest my head against the sleeping mat and try to go to sleep. I hate cuddling with a passion since I get hot and sweaty (even without my partner having fur) and my arms are already killing me from one being trapped under the knight and the other hurting because I have to hold it over her to properly cradle her. I put up with it for her. She needs me more than ever right now, and if that means I have to be uncomfortable I'll just have to be uncomfortable. At least there's not a sword between us.

* * *

 **Smart-Snake POV:**

Wind is panting and quivering by the time I finally pull into the Markarth stables. Finding my sister is important, but I won't be able to do that if I don't have a horse to ride. I take Wind's saddle off, rub her down, feed her, and water her. The poor girl is still a little woozy once I'm done tending to her, so it's easy to check her for wounds or broken hooves. Nothing makes itself known and I decide to leave Wind to rest for the night. My steed has closed her eyes and locked her knees before I've even left the stall.

I put the required gold in the slot by Wind's stall to pay the stable's owner to keep and tend to Wind, then head up into Markarth. Already, I see signs of my sister being here. A bloated, rotting corpse is attracting scavengers in the marketplace. Crows and dogs have already descended on it and are happily eating their fill. I shoo all of them away (having to kick one of the dogs) to let me examine the corpse. Barely, I make out gigantic claws are ultimately the weapons that wounded this man. I heave myself up and the animals are instantly back to their feast. I grab a passing guard and question him.

"Did you see the woman who killed that man over there?". The guard looks at the corpse and nods.

"A Khajiit a little taller than you with dark fur. She's staying in the inn over-". He points as he speaks and that's enough for me. I shove him aside as I run to the inn.


	34. A Prophet of Her Time

**Knight POV:**

I'm beginning to struggle to separate dreams and reality. Once, my nightmares and dreams were misty worlds of fog where either all my terrors or all my hopes came true within moments. Now, however they're getting more and more realistic to the point where I don't even realize I'm dreaming. Vex's scream of terror brings me charging from our shelter, and it's what awaits me that reveals it's a dream to me: Vex in her jester's outfit. My friend wouldn't change back into her ratty, torn clothes after the armor I gave her. I don't try stopping the dream, though. I've tried before and only made things worse. So, when Vex begins pulling an unfamiliar steed towards me I rush to meet her rather than fleeing.

The destrier who I mount is a monster worthy of a knight from oblivion: his thick, hard muscles rippling between my thighs warn me of the power he has; his untamed, unruly mane and tail speak of decades spent alone; and the thick, rigid red lines crisscrossing his pelt show he's not only survived hundreds of fights, but he also won them. The fact the tremendous horse isn't wearing a saddle, isn't castrated, and isn't wearing shoes only adds to his wild appearance. I run my claws along his shuddering, muscular neck and the beast looks over his shoulder at me. Smoldering, scarlet eyes encourage me _not_ to keep petting and stroking him.

Vex suddenly _smacks_ my leg and draws my attention away from the strange horse I'm riding. Vex looks an absolute mess. She's wearing her shredded outfit, has her hair in a wild mess atop her head, and has both tears and dirt smeared and mixed across her face. The woman looks absolutely desperate as she points down the path ahead of me.

"Please, get him! You have to stop him!". I look at where she's pointing. A young, tiny boy is pounding down the path far, far ahead of me. I don't even bother asking why I'm chasing him. Instead, I take the tremendous, gleaming sword Vex offers me apparently out of nowhere. The weapon is as wicked as my horse: pure, gleaming ebony that's as long as the length of my body with a slightly serrated side makes up the blade; the pommel is white as bone and in a shape of a babyish human-looking skull; and the guard and grip are similarly as white as bone with tiny ridges that appear on actual bones.

I run the pad of my thumb over the haft of the sword and find it's real bone I'm touching. I run my other hand along the blade and feel a concerning, violent heat coming from it. I balance the blade in one hand and place my other hand on the neck of the stallion.

"I'll get him, don't worry.". Lightly, I kick the horse in the sides with my heels. My strange steed takes off like the wind without a neigh or whinny. As he charges, the terrain around me changes. We're suddenly running in a thick, tangled forest as stars glare down upon us. My animal charges through brambles, thorns, and small saplings without a single scratch or wound. He doesn't even scream or whine as he forces himself to run through obstacles that would otherwise harm any other horse. Far ahead of me, the boy is beginning to come into focus. I see he's wearing something white and has a thick, dark mess of hair, but that's all I can make out of him. I kick my horse in the side again.

It's like riding a wave of wind as he keeps running. No jostling or bumping. Oblivion, it doesn't even feel like I'm riding a horse. If I could ride a breeze or a stream, then this would be what it feels like. I turn my attention downward to my left for some reason and see a familiar friend. Sif's fur is ruffled and his eyes are the same as my horse's, but I'd recognize him anywhere. His tongue is lolling out as he huffs in each breath of air, desperate to keep up with me. Slowly, my wolf charges ahead of the horse. Sif glances over his shoulder and barks loud enough to both echo around us. The boy begins running even harder as both he and I realize that Sif is tracking him and, if Sif successfully catches him, will hold him until I manage to arrive. I whistle and Sif falls back to run beside my horse and me.

Quickly, we're closing in on the boy. I pull my sword backwards and await the _perfect_ moment. I slice the boy from his left shoulder to his right hip in a single stroke. My swing cuts through muscle, fat, bones, and anything else that's holding the boy together. He falls in two separate pieces in a spray of flailing blood. The child is still conscious when I dismount my horse beside him. He's still desperately clawing at the ground with his one remaining hand as the second part of his body twitches without a head to control it. His red shirt is soaked a deep pink by the time I reach the chunk of his body that still has a head. I kick the boy over and cringe at the familiar sight.

The deep purple Argonian has sharp features and fins large enough he can always act like a fish whenever we went swimming together. My adopted father looks different than he did given that he's now a youthful boy, but his eyes stay the same. The rich, full yellow of his eyes meet mine as he wordlessly moves his jaw. I understand completely why he can't say anything: his lungs are in the other part of his body. I kneel beside my father and give him one final act of mercy. I _snap_ his neck to the side with no effort. Finally, I reach into his breast pocket to get whatever it is that Vex wanted me to retrieve. A small, metal medallion without a chain soaked in my father's blood rests in the palm of my hand.

I pocket the medallion and rise. Sif is sniffing at my father's corpse. I whistle to get his attention as I mount up. I ride my unfamiliar steed back through the large, trampled path he made to get to this part of the forest. Vex isn't who awaits me, though. The Orc from so many nightmares is wearing Vex's jester outfit and standing exactly where my friend was. A bleeding, skinned corpse dangling above my fire warns me of where my friend is. I look at Vex for a moment as I dismount. I can't tell where any of her body parts are, but I can see her fat and muscle slowly beginning to melt and drip down to add fuel to the fire. I avert my eyes and turn back to the Orc.

I hold out the medallion as another offering. The small, flat metal coin is plucked from my grasp. I see the woman turn it in the firelight this way and that. Sif arrives and sits at the Orc's feet. I don't bother calling him back. Instead, I focus on the coin. It's passed back to me and I pocket it once again. The Orc and Sif leave into the darkness beyond the camp without a word. I turn back to my horse and see it's Cupcake again. He has his throat slit open and he's lying on the ground dead, but it's still him. I ignore both my dead horse and my dead friend. I go over and sit down by the fire, looking deep into the flames fueled by my friend's death. I wait like that, surrounded by a camp of the dead, until I awake.

* * *

This time, Vex truly wakes me up by screaming. When I exit the shelter I have an actual nice surprise, though. Vex has some sort of furry varmint dangling from her hands.

"Look what I found!". I smile at her as she passes the large, heavy animal over to me. Vex patiently waits and watches while I skin the animal and begin chopping off its hands and feet. She helps me strip the meat from the bones, thankfully. Vex packs the meat away for later as I make sure everything is prepared for our departure. I'm checking Cupcake's hooves when I feel it. The weight in my pocket that wasn't there last night. I reach in and expect to pull out a bone or piece of meat I accidentally stored in my pants. The medallion doesn't have a chain, but I recognize the thick, copper coin with the imprint of a lion's paw. I turn it this way and that. The single stamped image of a paw is all I find.

"What's that?". I pocket the coin before Vex can see it anymore. I turn and find the woman giving me a confused look.

"Nothing. Just a coin my brother gave me when we were children.". Vex smiles.

"That's sweet that you still carry it around.". Vex leans over and kisses me out the cheek. I smile as she shakily mounts Lucky. I check the camp one more time to make sure we've got everything, then mount Cupcake and start riding. I can't shake the weight of the medallion as I ride.

* * *

 **?**

The time is drawing ever nearer. My pawn has the key, now all she needs is the lock. That part, however, I can't give to her. I needn't worry about that, though. The bearer of the lock is at her side with a smile on her face and trust in her heart. Far, far behind my pawn are the two who will ultimately cause the lock to be revealed and the key to be inserted. Thousands and thousands of miles away is the only person who can stop my pawn. He's asleep at the moment beside his wife. Comfortable, safe, and warm in his bed with the moonlight glittering off his face. Beside him, his wife stirs. She's always been the one to feel me. To see the eyes watching over her and her husband.

Slowly, I close my eyes focused on the man who's my only threat. I continue watching the two who will assist me, though. One is still struggling through the forest with his horse. His steed is trapped in some bramble. I inwardly groan as I _snap_ the bramble for him. The man and horse keep walking through the forest. Both are bleeding, but neither will die. I close that eye and focus on the other one I need. She's in an inn yelling at a man. The man's about to toss her out and refuse to tell her the information she needs. I reach into his heart and pluck up the image of his own daughter who's currently in the other room. The man gives in and tells the woman what she needs to know. Finally, I close that eye and focus all my strength on my pawn.

I whisper softly in her ear words of promise and power. Her ear flicks, but she ignores me. My voice has been weakened by my fellows (understandable after what I did to them), so I can't whisper as effectively as I once did in my pawn's ear. That doesn't stop me in the slightest. If I whisper enough, then one day she'll come to do what I want on her own accord. Love and affection are what's driving my pawn. Currently, the bearer of the lock is giving her all the affection and attention she needs. She needs to give her more for my plan to work. I gently reach a small wisp of my power into the bearer's mind. I place an image of her and my pawn together in the throes of pleasure as they explore one another's flesh.

The bearer smiles a little wider and I see inside her heart she's fine with the images taking over her mind. I continue pumping images into her head the entire day. It's only as they begin to set up camp I begin disappearing from my pawn's mind completely. I've shared some of my pawn's most intimate moments, but nothing's going to happen tonight. I can feel it. The bearer will kiss her until they're both wet, then make them both go to sleep unsatisfied. I'll be there for the sex, though. If I wasn't, then who would make sure they were doing it right?


	35. Expressions of Love

**Vex POV:**

I force the knight in my dreams. She's crying and screaming as I pull the chain wrapped around her neck tighter and tighter. A snake coiled around my love's throat, slowly killing her. She begs me to stop. The Khajiit tries to convince me to see reason and logic. She claims I'm hurting her. Tightening the chain too tight, pressing my knees too tight, hurting her, killing her. I ignore her. I tie off the chain to where the woman's dying, then climb off her back.

I step back from the log I forced the woman on and look her over: huge chunks of fur are ripped out to leave bloody, raw clumps of skin; her tail's been either ripped or cut off at the base and is now resting a few feet away from the Khajiit, twitching; her hands are securely tied behind her back by a thick, black rope; a blindfold is tightly tied around her head to cover her eyes; and the chain is causing the muscles and fat in her neck to bulge around it.

I'd worry about her running away if I didn't see her knees shattered and legs sloping the wrong way entirely. My knight is trapped before me. She's an unwillingly feast on a makeshift table awaiting me to eat her. In the end, I'll devour her. I'll shred her meat from her frame, suck the marrow from her bones, and drink the blood from her veins. First, though, I need the woman to sate another appetite of mine that's broiling in my guts. I begin to move towards her when I feel it. Someone is watching us.

I look over to the thick, tangled woods that surround my peaceful clearing. Sif is standing at the edge of the trees, his eyes wide and glowing with a light not entirely mortal. Slowly, the two moons that were the wolf's eyes dim before burning out all together. The shadow of Sif slowly lies down on the ground and disappears into nothingness. I turn back to the Khajiit. She's crying out. The Khajiit is begging for someone to come to her aid, for anyone around to stop the rape and murder she's about to become the victim of. I fall silent and hold still.

I let her scream for hours. She begs, pleads, and hollers for both mercy and help regardless of the chain killing her. Finally, she begins quieting down. She flicks a busted, bloody ear that I instinctively know is searching for me. Carefully, she begins wiggling off towards an edge of the log I put her on. That's when I punish her. The knight knows she's both my pet and my property. So, I treat her like a dog who's wandered away from where his master told him to stay or a chair that's busted out from underneath my ass: I fix her. In this case, fixing her means making sure she knows damned well to stay where I want her. Her naked ass thrust upwards by the log was a feast for the eyes, and she interrupted my meal by moving and ruining it. I need a bitch who gives me my pleasures rather than denying them.

She cries as I take my pleasure from her. I leap atop her and hardly notice that my clothes are now gone. The Khajiit is forced still as I grind myself against the back of her thigh. I spread my wetness across her furry pelt and rub my clit along her skin. Weakly, she tries fighting back by wiggling out of my grasp. I twine my fingers in the fur of her back and give her a loving tug to quiet her down. The knight finally gives up. She collapses against the log and silently cries rather than screaming to the sky for help. My love's head dangles off the wood as I keep sating my appetite and lust for her body. I hump against her just as a young girl would a pillow until I finally find the release I was chasing using her thigh as a steed.

I groan and grind down harder into her. When I rise, the fur on her thigh is smeared with my arousal and stuck up in triangular clumps. Already, my pleasure is leaving me. I want more from the living sex toy below me. I want her to cry as she uses her mouth to fuck me. I want her to come undone around my fingers as she begs me to stop. I want her to look into her rapist eyes as I finally slit her throat and use her skull as another toy to fuck and throw away when I get bored of. People in the burning realms of oblivion want ice water, and they're more likely to get their wish than I am to get mine. The Khajiit isn't ripe for fucking. She's slowly turning into a monster in mortal flesh as I look at her.

Her claws become daggers that would shred my cunt, her teeth become butchering knives that're meant for ripping throats and not licking arousal, thin spines begin to poke out of the length of her spine from the base of her skull to the base of her tail so I can't hold her down, and her eyes that come loose of her blindfold become mirrors of scarlet so I can't see her crying as I rape her over and over again. I flip the woman over onto her back so the demonic spines coming from her are digging into the wood below her. She looks up at me with her glowing eyes and whispers her reverence to me, the goddess of her pleasure and life.

"Please, Vex. I love you. Don't hurt me anymore than you already have. Let me free into the woods and I swear I won't tell a soul what you've done here today.". The woman cringes and whimpers when I throw my head back and cackle. My voice is a deep, unfamiliar tone as I look down upon my new lover.

"You won't tell a soul because I'm going to rip your skull from your shoulders. Now, shut the fuck up. Your voice is killing my arousal.". The woman cries like a babe as I sit atop her stomach and resume my fucking. A lyrical, soothing voice creeps out from the dark woods around us. The sound sends both shivers of terror up my spine while tears of joy prick my eyes.

"Killing your prey is what I made you for. Torturing it isn't.". I look upwards into a lupine face. The beast is all sharp angles and hard lines with a gaze that both chills me and causes my blood to boil. Snowy fur whistles in a breeze that isn't there as two swirling, indescribable pools of color lock onto me from the wolf's seemingly harsh face. Teeth the size of broadswords greet me as the animal speaks once again. A flash of a black tongue reveals itself as the animal talks to me.

"Don't you believe your bitch has suffered enough? She can't whelp any bastards in reverence to your fucking, so what's the purpose of dragging it out any longer?". The beast cocks its head to the side. Oddly, I feel like a child being talked to by a parent as the wolf continues talking.

"Is that what you want? Your bitch to bring forth your brood before you kill her? If that's it, then you'll need the proper equipment.". A shudder runs up me when the feral animal next speaks because deep, deep down in my guts I feel what he offers is true.

"I could do that for you if you'd like. You'd awake with a cock rigid as steel awaiting a hole to be buried in. I'd even keep your bitch asleep as you breed her. In less than nine months you could watch your bitch bring forth your child in a tide of blood and tears. Of course, there's always a price to be paid. I fear you'd need to pay reverence to me before your child is brought forth.". I somehow already know what the price would be. I'd need to pay reverence to the wolf before me, and he only trades in blood and flesh. I stop grinding against the woman below me. I speak in my normal voice as the Khajiit turns to a limp corpse underneath me, the chain finally cutting off enough oxygen to kill her.

"You want me to rape her in real life.". The wolf's ear flicks and, slowly, he nods. My frozen shock appears to encourage what I now realize is a Divine or Prince or something standing before me. No other creature would come with a plea of rape and impregnation hanging from their lips and expect to get away with it.

"I'd keep your bitch asleep, but she'd feel it and know what was happening. Rest assured, she wouldn't know it was you, and once your cock disappears before she wakes up she'll have no reason to even suspect you. She'll brush it off as a terrifying, realistic nightmare or, more likely, a man sneaking into your tent and fucking her prone body while you were away. Regardless, that is the price that needs to be paid.". Disgust fills me as I realize where I am, who I am, and what I'm listening to. I just dreamed about raping my closest friend and listened to some Daedra prattle on about how he could help me bring forth a child I don't even want into the world against my knight's wishes without her ever knowing.

This is all some fucked up dream, or this being is trying to get to me using the wrong angle. I dismount the corpse of my love and look at the wolf. He shows me the teeth he could use to eat me. I remain standing strong and look into his ever-changing eyes.

"No.". The beast lets a smile slowly grace his lupine lips. A thick, heavy tooth drops down to my feet. I pick it up and find a handle made of bone and sinew holding the toothy blade to the rest of the dagger's parts. I look up and see the wolf already rising from his sitting position.

"We will meet again one day. Not soon, though. I'd suggest you enjoy the rest of your dream. You've earned if for proving yourself a useful tool.". The animal doesn't disappear by running away or going up in a puff of smoke. Instead, he just isn't there. I look to where the knight's corpse is and already see her rising. She's back to her normal, beautiful self without any flaws marring her skin or any injuries to show for what happened to her. I know this is supposed to be some reward from the wolf for fulfilling whatever test he felt needed to be fulfilled, but I don't take it. He's already made me rape the Khajiit once, I'm not about to do it again. This ghost version of the woman I'm courting may consent to what I do to her, but the real her wouldn't stand for it. That's why I push her away.

* * *

 **?**

He thinks I haven't noticed. He thinks I haven't seen his move across the chessboard. The creature I'm playing believes his moves are hidden just because he has his eyes closed tight. Mine are open, though, and I see what angle he's playing at. He wants to stir a urge for violence and carnal pleasure in my lock that he knows I can't contain. The trick's on him, ultimately. In my lock he's stirred a desire far from the one he wanted. He wanted rage and lust, but got fear and love instead. My lock is desperate to prove she loves her key and that they'd never hurt one another. A lie to anyone's ears, but a lie my lock has happily embraced and will swallow down with all her vigor.

My lock will love the key and try to pull her closer to prove to both of them there's no pain in their love and no darkness in their hearts. That's where I'll strike. I'll push them together as soon as Azura is done playing her minor role in my play. I'll abandon them both alone in a cold, unforgiving environment where the only warmth is what they can find in one another. They'll swallow each other whole and their power combined will be their undoing. The creature I'm playing against is trying to be clever for once and not be a brute, and it's biting him in the ass. I'll win this match just like I've won all the other matches before this one. My opponent's lost and he doesn't even know it.

* * *

 **Note: Sorry I haven't been updating regularly. Expect delays and for "Denerim's Shadow" not to get updated at all. My work is getting a little busy, but it'll wear off soon.**


	36. Promises in the Night

**Vex POV:**

I remember the feeling of raping the Khajiit in my dreams. I've always liked submissive women, and it shames me to say the vision of her thrashing and crying beneath me appealed to my sadistic tendencies. Now, in real life, whenever I look at the knight I feel ashamed of myself recalling how wonderful and powerful I felt while raping her. It takes all my strength to ignore her as I help her pack up the tent. I don't even look at her as she's helping me on Lucky. I can ignore her touch, her voice, and her appearance, but there's one thing about her I can't ignore: the smell.

That thick, lingering smell of those leaves she smokes coupled with the "special" mix of alcohol she has every breakfast. It's earthy, thick and feral. It leaves a taste in my mouth that both burns and lingers when she climbs my horse to secure her saddle. She hasn't washed in a week, so the smell of her is even stronger than normal. Finally, I force myself to look at her as she climbs down off Lucky and begins walking towards Cupcake. Her leather armor hugs her small curves and strains against her muscles. The woman's dark, thick pelt ruffles in the breeze as she mounts her horse. The shame burrowing in my consumes me.

 _I swear to you I'll make up for what I did. I'll make up for how much I loved raping you. I'll show you that I love you no matter what the cost._

The knight begins moving and I gently take up Lucky's reins to begin riding after her. That's when I feel a thick, heavy weight in my pocket. I reach inside and pull out an omen that puts me on edge. A long, thick blade that's serrated in the shape of a fang with a pommel of bone and sinew holding it together. I run my finger along the edge of the blade and feel that it's also made out of bone. Gently, I put the large blade back awkwardly in my pocket. Whatever or whoever the wolf was gave me a gift that I'm not about to throw away.

I don't know why the wolf wanted me to have it, but I'm not about to toss it away when it could possibly save either the Khajiit's life or my own life. Regardless, I feel a stone forming in the pit of my stomach. That means it wasn't just a nightmare: it was real. Some powerful being actually offered to let me impregnate the Khajiit. My spine shudders and I look at the back of my friend's head. I'd have never taken the offer, but there's something extremely disturbing about realizing the offer was still made.

I bite my lip and silently swear to myself I'll show the woman how much I love her. I'll make sure to let her know that I'd _never_ intentionally hurt her regardless of who wanted me to. I only know a single way to show my affections, though: sex. I know the Khajiit well and trust her, but I'm not sure if she's in the same place I am. I recall my dream once again. The Khajiit screaming, begging, and helpless as I raped her after torturing her. No, I _have_ to show her how much I care for her. Fucking her until she's writhing in ecstasy is the only way I know how.

I feel a surge of confidence for some reason and decide I'll just romance her a little before trying to get her out of her pants. First, though, it'd be helpful to know how experience she is. My question is easily answered when I remember she's a damned knight and has only been married once. Usually, knights prefer not fucking outside of marriage. Knights also avoid smoking and drinking which the Khajiit, obviously, doesn't do. However, smoking and drinking she can hide from her superiors, but fucking someone can't be as easily hidden.

So, she'll have only ever had sex with her husband before he died. I feel even more confident for some reason. Probably because I know the woman's insides better than even she does. I wasn't exactly trained how to have sex with a Khajiit, but I had to study their genitals and inner workings enough that I have an advantage over everyone else (especially considering the fact Khajiit and Argonian bodies are the two most different than man and mer bodies). I look around us and try to get any ideas on a romantic gesture. Unfortunately, the terrain isn't helping me at all.

The thick, dense snow surrounding us has not only forced our horses to slow down since it's brushing their bellies, but it's also killed any flowers I could possibly find. A barren, icy blanket spread out in all directions greets me. An occasional frozen tree or stilled spring breaks up the white landscape in a splash of grey or blue, but that's it. I can't bring the knight a snowball or block of ice, so I'm out of ideas. I sigh as I look up towards the sky. Grey, thick clouds dangle above our heads with the threat of rain. The dead landscape and ominous clouds aren't doing me any favors. The knight can't even see the road and is simply forcing Cupcake in a linear line to where we want to go.

Slowly, the snow creeps further and further up the horses. The snow's now brushing the underside of my stirrups and Lucky is barely pushing the dense, tightly-packed snow apart with his chest. I examine my beast and cringe. His eyes have rolled back to the whites, his panting is causing a tiny cloud to form in front of his mouth, and snow is slowly coating his chest as it's tediously forced apart by his body. I pull my stirrups up a little further and try to shake off the oppressing cold that's now weighing me down. Cupcake isn't doing much better. He has to rise into a rearing position before coming back down to part the snow, and snow and ice are already clinging to him like armor.

Suddenly, my desire is answered. Cupcake kicks up a pile of snow and a somehow alive flower is kicked up into the light breeze. Easily, I snatch it from the air as it attempts to pass me. I look at the beautiful flower in the palm of my hand. It's twice the size of my palm with thick, long petals connected to each other only at the base and long, black filaments leading up to even darker anthers. The stigma of the flower isn't there or it's been cut off by something. The flower's petals are a deep, dark violet with streaks of black running along them like veins. I look underneath the flower and see the small, shriveled remains of the steam that's slowly leaking a thick, violet sap.

I rub the sap from my hand onto my armor and tuck the flower carefully away in my bag. Another surprise is awaiting me when I open my sack. A pure white squirrel with scarlet eyes and a pink nose is looking up at me. A deep cut in his throat that's staining his fur pink tells me what killed him. I scream over the light breeze to make sure my friend hears me.

"Did you do some hunting?". Her response isn't comforting as Lucky keeps trying to forge a path separate of Cupcake. I quickly point my horse towards where his fellow steed is forging ahead while I hear my friend's answer.

"No, we'll need to do that when we make camp if we want to have dinner tonight.". I look at the squirrel. It's fat enough and large enough to serve two people. Gently, I reach downwards and pick his head up. Grey garlic is already awaiting me. I bite my lip and debate whether I should say something. Obviously, whoever gave me the knife is giving me the tools to seduce the Khajiit. That can only mean they want me to fuck her.

 _Maybe this what the wolf's plan all along. Make me want to fuck her, then give me the tools to do so._

If that was the wolf's plan, then it worked. I want to prove to the Khajiit I love her, and if that means serving her unholy squirrel I'll just have to deal with it.

"There's no need, I've already got dinner.". Her response puts me at ease and assures me I'm doing the right thing.

"Thank the Divines! I don't think I even have the strength to _think_ about hunting.". Finally, Lucky makes it into the path Cupcake made. My horse lets out a deep sigh that causes a cloud to obscure his head. Then, my beast easily follows Cupcake's trampled trail until his nose is behind the other horse's ass. Cupcake is still forging ahead with all his strength and nearly bucking the Khajiit with every forceful downward stomp. Thankfully, we're out of the snow soon enough when we arrive at a small incline that takes us upwards. Slowly, Cupcake ascends out of the snow with each step until he's stumbling along with only his hooves in the white entrapment.

Both of our steeds are covered in thick clumps of ice, snow, and hoarfrost from the bottom of their front hooves to the tops of their chests and their chests to halfway down their sides. Both are shaking on their feet and breathing great gusts of freezing air. I shudder and gently begin stroking Lucky's neck. My horse takes some small comfort in it as he's forced to follow Cupcake. Thankfully, the landscape is changing. More frozen, sentinel trees are greeting us with their grey needles spread wide in either a warning or a welcome. A thin, pathetic forest soon sprouts around us. If I had to guess where we are, then I'd say we're closing in on Winterhold. The rough, stone path below our animals' hooves attest to that.

Even better, though, the Khajiit soon finds a place to set up camp for the night. The large, wooden square is resting atop the snow and perfect for travelers. The structure is nailed into four trees to keep it where it is, so I'm assuming locals built it after measuring how high the snow can get. That helps us considering the snow is brushing the underneath of the wood rather that engulfing it. Lucky and Cupcake both sway and pant as we tie them to a tree for the night, and as a reward the Khajiit ties a sack of oats to either of their faces and tosses blankets over them. Then, my knight gets to work getting our camp ready.

I watch as the exhausted woman struggles to get our tent up. I'd offer to help, but I know I'd only get in the way. It takes my friend almost an hour before the tent is shakily standing by itself. The knight was, thankfully, prepared for our travel to the north and already has some stones and dried kindling she got down south before we entered the snowy fields leading to Winterhold. She sets up a small pit for our fire, then ignites the kindling into a weak flame. My friend looks at me and I can see her grimace as she questions me.

"Can you handle dinner on your own?". I nod and practically feel the relief dripping off her.

"Thank you. I'm just going to go take a nap for a little while.". She stumbles into the tent and I see her collapse the second she's in it. I offer the woman a smile she won't see as I go about preparing our dinner for us. It takes me only a few minutes to have the squirrel gutted and skinned, and the garlic chopped and shoved in its torso. I toss the unneeded remains into the snow, then place the squirrel above the flames of our fire. As I watch it cook, I can't help thinking about what I'm doing. I'm feeding the Khajiit a gift from most likely a Prince before giving her a flower, once again, most likely from a Prince.

 _Can I really put her in that kind of danger?_

I remember my dream and how much I want to show I love her.

 _Yes._

* * *

 **Note: Again, sorry for the delay. My work is keeping me busy.**


	37. Reaching Eternity

I make sure the setting and mood is right. I've moved the horses far enough away we'll hear their screams if they're attacked or stolen, but far enough they aren't an eyesore. I don't like the idea of our two loyal steeds watching me fuck their owner. Next, I wait until the squirrel's done cooking and, thankfully, it's finished cooking right around dusk when there's still the sun kissing our camp without being too oppressive. Finally, I pull the squirrel from above the flames and begin separating it onto two plates.

I give the knight the more savory head while I take what was once its ass. I begin adding a few touches that'll make the evening even more amazing than it's already going to be. I dig around in our sacks until I find a large, dusty bottle of violet wine. The label is faded, but the fresh and airy aroma that greets me tells me the wine hasn't turned. I get the plates where I want them and place the bottle of wine in the middle of them. The time is perfect. The sun is dipping down, dinner's hot, the wine is fresh, and a slight breeze is ruffling my hair. I add the flower beside her plate for the final touch. If this atmosphere doesn't make her give in to my advances, then the woman's taken a vow of celibacy that she'll never break.

"Dinner's ready!". A grumble from inside the tent before she finally responds.

"I'll be out in a minute.". I sit down and make sure to block the food from the wind to keep it from cooling. I eagerly await her arrival.

* * *

 **Khajiit POV:**

I turn my head a bit more, my reflection almost obscured by darkness in the mirror. A torch behind me is offering minor illumination, but not enough for me to shave by. I've discovered my pelt's become infested by tiny, black bugs I can't quite decide what they are. The creatures are so tiny I can only tell they have a high number of legs, and that's it. I tried combing them out and plucking them. Neither of those worked, so I've resorted to the only thing I've discovered that has worked: shaving.

If I take the fur away, then they black bugs disappear from my sight. I've managed to free my entire body and neck of fur, but now I need to shave my head which has become the last refuge for the bugs. Carefully, I rub the cream I'm using up around my eyes and slowly slide my razor along the curve of my face. I remove enough hair that I have rings around my eyes, then wipe my fur and cream off on a towel that's already as hairy as a blanket.

"Are you almost done?". I hear my friend yell to me as I'm shaving along my jaw. I finish my stroke before answering her.

"Yes, just give me one more moment.". I begin shaving even quicker until I've reached the back of my head. I turn from the mirror and begin walking towards the entrance of the tent.

"Ready!". I finish shearing the last of the fur from my skull and toss the blade off to the side. I shiver in the cool wind as my fresh, raw flesh is exposed to the chilling air. I look at the back of my hands as I walk over to Vex who's kneeling with her face away from me. My skin is smoothed by the muscle and fat beneath it, but it's a somewhat unappealing grey color that reminds me of Orc skin. Apparently, my new flesh isn't as unappealing to Vex as it is to me. The Imperial offers me one of the widest, brightest smiles I've ever seen grace her lips. I offer my own fanged version of a smile back at her as I sit down across from her. Before me is a meal tasty enough to send my stomach rumbling.

Fatty, cooked squirrel with garlic melted into its flesh with a bottle of my finest wine beside him. A beautiful, violet flower beside my plate makes the dinner perfect. I ignore the fact Vex had to rummage through my bag to find the wine and focus instead on feasting. The squirrel tastes better than anything that's ever passed my lips. Fatty, sweet, and with thick traces of garlic. The wine I open with one of my claws and take a swig of. Perfectly balanced tang and sweetness greet me. I pass the wine to Vex and before I know it the last of the squirrel has passed my lips. I swallow down the last of my dinner and drink down the last few sips of wine that Vex offers to me. I'm full, warmed by wine, and happier than I've been in a long, long time when I look at Vex's smiling face.

I cock my head in confusion as Vex moves the empty plates, wine, and other dining supplies off to the side. My friend moves closer to me and motions for me to meet her. I scoot towards her with a stupid grin plastered across my face. The deepest thing we've done so far is kissing for a few minutes while we were in our underclothes because we were changing, so I'm not at all surprised when Vex turns my head towards her.

I shiver at the sensation of her smooth, soft fingers rubbing against my newly revealed skin. I shudder even more when Vex ignores my lips and instead swoops her head down to nip at my hairless, exposed neck. I gasp at the unfamiliar sensation of my oversensitive skin being nibbled and sucked. I gently bring my claws around to rest on Vex's back. I find myself slowly sinking my claws into her leather armor as she bites down harder on my neck.

"Vex.". She must hear the want and desire in my voice because she begins tugging off my armor. I take my hands back and allow Vex to pull the armor over my head. Instantly, the second the armor's off, her lips are attached to mine. Her freakishly mobile, soft lips move against mine and she does the best to create a suction. Eventually, Vex stops trying and instead lightly licks my lips. I let her in without Vex having to ask a second time. Soon, I'm stripped and bare before Vex. I'm more than willing to let Vex do what she wills with me. I'm more than inexperienced in sex, and having the Imperial leading me will put me at ease. I shudder and shake as Vex runs the tips of her fingers over my newly exposed flesh.

She traces ever muscle and when she runs out of those she digs her nails in and follows the invisible paths she's made in reverse. Finally, Vex's efforts reach their peak and she finally gives me what I want. Vex wraps her fingers tightly around my throat and begins squeezing the life out of me. I moan and close my eyes. I feel each of her fingers digging in tight and forcing my airway shut. It's only when I'm completely starved for air that Vex rises without a word. I open my eyes and move to follow. A sharp kick to the gut sends me back down to the ground.

"Stay. You'll get up when I say you get up, got it?". I nod and earn myself a lighter kick to my side.

"Yes.". A small laugh is my reward for answering her like she wanted me to. I watch my love quickly strip down. Thankfully, she stands still for a moment and lets me bask in her nude glory. Pale skin, tits proportioned perfectly to fit into the palms of my hands, and legs that seem to go on forever and ever. The wide, confident smirk on her face only drives me even crazier for her. Slowly, Vex lowers herself onto my stomach. My raw skin trembles against her wetness as she lovingly takes my wrists in her hands. Vex places my hands crossed above my head far enough that my arms are already burning.

"Move them and I stop fucking you. Understand?". I nod. Vex leans down and offers me one last loving, soft kiss before whispering what I need to know into my ear, the skin twitching as she does.

"Say horker if you want me to slow down, or slaughterfish if you want me to stop completely. Alright?". I nod my consent before Vex disappears from my vision with a warning.

"Look straight ahead. If I see you looking anywhere else, then I'm spank your ass until you'll never ride again.". I groan as the woman's warm breath washes down my chest before reaching my tits. I hiss a little as Vex begins worrying at one of my nipples with her teeth. Briefly, Vex offers me compassion by pulling back.

"Don't like having your tits touched?". I know she's looking up at me, so I just shake my head rather than speaking. I've never cared for having my tits touched, and it's best she knows that sooner rather than later. Thankfully, my lover takes everything in stride.

"Alright, fine. I'll just have to get you worked up some other way. Do you mind if I touch your tail?". I shrug a little, it doesn't matter in the slightest. Surprisingly, Vex doesn't touch my tail at all. Instead, she spends the next few minutes tracing me again with her mouth. Kisses, licks, and nips all lead down my body and past the junction of my thighs. I'm left a shuddering, flushed mess as Vex yanks my legs over her shoulders. I groan a bit as Vex blows across my wetness. Instantly, my claws are digging into the ground.

They dig even deeper as teeth meet my cunt. It's a small bite, but it's enough to cause my hips to jerk and a hiss to pass my lips. Vex repeats her process for a while. Blowing across me, barely allowing her lips to brush me, and giving me a sharp bite that's enough to cause some real pain. I begin considering saying "horker" after a few bites, but hold out until I'm shaking and straining against invisible bonds. Finally, Vex stops biting me and teasingly questions me.

"You want me to stop biting?". I desperately nod.

"Well, why didn't you ask me sooner?". I groan, then moan as Vex begins feasting on me. I've never had my partner use their mouth on me, but I can already tell that Vex is abnormally good with hers. I begin shuddering instantly as Vex licks, sucks, and rubs along me. I do my best to keep my burning, straining arms above my head while my lover puts all the effort she can into completely consuming me in the most pleasurable way possible. Finally, I come undone around Vex's skilled tongue.

I keep my hands firmly planted above my head, but I can't stop the moans that leave me or my hips from thrusting upwards towards Vex. Slowly, I come down from my high and Vex begins untangling herself from me. Thankfully, she doesn't go far. I'm wrapped up in Vex's arms and facing her. Vex's lips are shining with my own wetness, but that doesn't make me stop her when she leans in for a kiss. I taste myself on her as we share a gentle kiss that doesn't match the somewhat rough fucking we just did. Eventually, we part and I offer Vex a slight kiss between the eyes.

"I love you.". My heart clenches when I say the words. Fortunately, Vex soon puts my unfounded fears to rest.

"I love you to.". She leans over and mimics the kiss I just gave her between the eyes.

"That doesn't mean I'm done with you.".

* * *

 **Note: My temporary job is over, so go back to expecting regular updates.**


	38. Hidebehind

**Vex POV:**

I awake beside a slumbering daedra straight from the deepest pits of Oblivion sent to gnaw my bones to dust. I don't scream. I don't fight. I don't try to run. I lie there in shock and take in the form of the monster that's been sent to kill me.

The beast is facing away from me and lying on its side, but I have no doubt I'll only have a few seconds to look at it before if flips around as a part of some trick and rips my head from my shoulders in a spray of gory death: hard, thick muscles guide a row of short, sharp spikes up the creatures spine; a long, thin, hairless tail is softly flickering around at the base of the monster's spine; two large, spiral horns with rings crest from the beast's head, pass its pointed and triangular ears facing backwards, and stop in serrated tips on either of the daedra's shoulders; and deep, scarlet flesh is pulled taunt over this monstrosity.

A weight rests in my pocket. I know what I have to do. Not only for myself, but for the knight that's either been killed by this monster or injured enough she can't come into the tent and save me. I reach into my pocket and pull out the gleaming, serrated tooth the wolf from my dreams gave me for amusing him. I feel my muscles quiver and my blood stop as I pull back the knife to kill this daedra. That's when the beast rolls over and my blood runs once again while my muscles cramp.

Her face is the same. Obviously, the skin is different and the ears have been moved downward and are now facing the wrong way, but her face is the same. The same beautiful, high cheekbones and a defined jawline that leads to a chin slightly too large for her. The knight licks her lips with a forked, black tongue and reveals the same teeth that Namira "blessed" her with only a week or so ago. My entire body is shaking as I whisper my love's name gentle as a prayer. Her eyes open to reveal cloudy, white orbs. I gag as the eyes roll downward to reveal the front of her eyeballs. A piss-colored sclera, an iris the color of blood smeared across the snow, and a pupil as white as bone. Her voice is the same and it sends shivers up my spine to see the monster in front of me talk as my lover.

"Yes? What do you need?". I stare at her in horror long enough for her to get impatient.

"You okay?". A smile graces the daedra's lips.

"You want to go again before we have to pack up?". I manage to swallow the lump in my throat. I don't want to hurt her, but she needs to know what's happened.

"I think you should look in the mirror.". She frowns and brings a hand up to her face to scratch below her eye. She doesn't noticed her hand, but I do. The same long, serrated and black knives she called claws now erupt from longer, more muscular hands.

"Why?". I want so badly for this to be some demented torture that a Prince is putting on me. I want it so much so I reach out and grasp her wrist in my hand. Her skin is fire and the muscles beneath it are stone. I pull my burning hand back; no Prince could _ever_ make me imagine something that vivid. At least, I don't _think_ they could. I've always heard stories about how you need to grasp an illusion to find out it's fake, so I'm assuming the Khajiit has really been turned into a monstrosity to the Divines in her sleep.

"Please, you need to go outside and look in a mirror.". The woman rolls her eyes, but relents and begins moving to get up. I can't help looking at her from behind as she leaves the tent. The knight looks like something that crawled from an Oblivion Gate and she doesn't even know it. I hear whinnying and screams from the horses outside. I cringe. The horses are still tied up out of sight, it's the knight's smell that's sending them off. There's no doubt in my mind she's the creature I awoke to now. My fear is further confirmed as a earsplitting, thunderous scream erupts from outside. I barely have time to sit up before the former Khajiit has barreled back into our tent. I forgive her for the first question out of her mouth.

"Did you do this?". I shake my head. It's understandable she'd want an easy answer, and me having done it to her is the easiest one. The next hour is little more than the Khajiit examining herself and switching between bawling and becoming enraged. I comfort her when I can, and when she's not in need of immediate comforting I do my best to try to talk to her about it. She's cradling her new tail when I finally think of something.

"Did fucking do it?". She lightly rubs one of the spikes on her tail and doesn't bother looking at me.

"I wouldn't imagine. Why would Vaermina gain control over me by fucking?". I shrug because I don't know why Vaermina would suddenly be able to completely alter the Khajiit's body because we fucked. Briefly, I consider the idea of it being another Prince before brushing that thought off. Mephala was bound by our contract to tell the truth. Besides, Mephala is more subtle than this. Turning her avatar into a monster wouldn't be in her style. I come up with something and tell the Khajiit as she's touching two abnormally large lumps that formed beneath her shoulders that I failed to notice earlier.

"We aren't going fast enough.". The woman goes "hmm" while beginning to itch at the lumps.

"Azura wants us to get their faster. It makes sense, doesn't it? We've slowed down and taken too long, so Vaermina or Azura turned you into,". I motion at her. "this to get you to go to the shrine quicker. It makes sense, doesn't it?". I try not to sound offensive as I continue speaking. The Khajiit has been telling me all about her new body for the last hour, so I know in a vague sense what's changed from her perspective.

"You're a fucking alpha predator now, aren't you?". She looks at me with her eyes and shrugs. I think down the list of everything she's told me that's changed about her.

She can now "see" different colors that she originally didn't see when she woke up and-if she strains hard enough her eyes look painful-she can also see a "heat" around me that she's assuming tells her where my blood is flowing thickest; her legs and arms feel more "powerful" and (according to a few minor "tests" she did herself) she believes she can run quicker and has more strength; her hearing is acute enough she claims to be able to hear Cupcake's heartbeat even from here; the woman says her sense of smell is now strong enough she can smell a hunter's camp miles away from here since the scent is carried on the wind; using her new tongue she can "taste" the air as only a snake can and track animals and people that passed this way months ago; she claims to be able to "feel" my heartbeat and blood flowing through her skin; and, perhaps the most frightening, she claims to have a disturbing and frightening new sense of "how I move my muscles" as if she can slightly feel and/or tell my movements a nanosecond before I've done them.

The knight is my closest friend, but if she decided to kill me I know in her new form there's nothing I could do to stop her.

"You're fucking perfect.". She glares at me and I try to explain before she gets mad.

"I mean you're obviously perfect to me, but in a biological sense you are literally the perfect predator.". The woman reaches up and feels along her horns. Her face twists and I know she's skeptical.

"Think about it! You can find anything anywhere with little effort, nothing natural could ever _dream_ of killing you, and you now have all the tools any predator would need to kill and consume their prey.". She allows her hands to drop. For a while, she just mulls over my words. Thankfully, when she speaks it's reassuring.

"So, you think we're taking too long in our quest that one of the Princes decided to sculpt me into,". She angrily motions at her entire body. "this so I could finish it quicker?". I nod and try to further build my case with one last thing.

"Your skin is basically fire in mortal flesh. Why would you need fiery skin unless,". She finishes it for me while looking outside at the white world beyond.

"We were in the middle of a frozen wasteland the horses can't get through.". I finish.

"Exactly! You don't need a horse anymore, and your skin is giving off enough heat neither of us will need any special preparations to survive the wilderness.". The knight rises and I rise beside her. I can't contain another shudder as I realize she's also gained about a foot in height from yesterday. The Khajiit (Do I still call her that?) makes the only preparation she seems to care about. She straps large, full bags of oats to either of the horses and fills the bucket dangling from the tree beside them with snow melted down into fresh water. My love turns to me with a small smile on her face. She's still as naked as the day she was born and I'm wearing nothing besides a slip I got into last night after our fucking, but the warmth streaming off her skin is enough to sustain us both.

A muscular, clawed hand is offered to me and I take it without a second thought. Her new abs and pecks both flex as she easily lifts my entire body with one hand and settles me on her back. I hiss at the rough treatment of my one arm before wrapping myself around her back. I make sure to stay away from the two sharp, hard lumps that are still buried beneath her flesh. The corrupted Khajiit tastes the air, turns herself in a direction that leads to only wilderness, and bounds off at a speed not even the quickest horse could match. The world becomes a biting blur without enough air as I'm carried through the landscape at a pace quick enough to be painful. All I can do is hang on for my life.

* * *

 **Smart-Snake POV:**

My brother and I are riding Shadow and Wind respectively when it happens. Both of us fall from our horses, screaming, as an image is burned into our brains. I'm forced to watch as my sister's fur falls out to reveal hardened, red skin, her body changes into a muscular abomination without any traces of the curves she once had, and smaller details of her abomination form (horns, a forked tongue, Daedric eyes) either erupt from her flesh or take over existing features. The only mercy is Shadow and Wind are still waiting for us when we finally rise. Nair looks at me with streams running down his face. My heart breaks as I tell him what he's been dreading to hear ever since he discovered his birth sister was corrupted.

"It's too late.". He shakes his head and I see my brother shaking. I reach to comfort him. He jerks back and I don't try again.

"It's not too late. She _can_ be saved.". I shake my head. I love my sister, but that isn't her. She's been corrupted and altered too far to ever return to her knightly form.

"She wouldn't want to live like this. Can you imagine trying to live a happy life in that form? Nobody's going to want to be around her, she'll be hunted for the rest of her life, and she can _never_ be the knight she was supposed to be. She's gone.". I can't stop my brother as he leaps onto Wind instead of Shadow. I howl as he rides away.


	39. Whore of Babylon

**Khajiit POV:**

The world is different and frightening as I approach the Shrine of Azura that I've been climbing to for the past minute or two. Dozens of colors I can't even begin to name surround me, but that's not what I'm focusing on. I'm focusing on the statue of Azura towering over me. I can hear a heartbeat deep in the stone, feel the thundering of her power in my very bones, and taste metal on the tip of my tongue. I squint and see the rock brimming with both a red heat and a vibration that never seems to stop.

I begin clambering up the steps on all fours with Vex still securely on my back. A priestess of Azura is already awaiting my arrival. The statue she's under is so powerful it's clouding my senses enough I can't make out the woman. I still try my best to find out who the woman is. The grey, indistinguishable blob has no features and barely a form. I squint and try to make her out. No flare of heat, no taste of blood, and no vision of a swirling rainbow I can never describe. I can't contain myself; I begin backing away. The blob speaks in a voice that grates against my ears.

"Welcome, I've been waiting for you.". I let out a small, deep growl that sends my entire body shaking to warn the blob I believe is female. The voice from the blob is softer when it next speaks, and I can now make out that it's definitely a female at the end of the sound.

"My apologies. I see that Azura's gift has indeed reached you.". I begin to rise, but a slight nudge from Vex reminds me she's there. I fall back onto my hands and feet like a beast and curl my ass downwards until I'm sitting like a damned hound. Vex dismounts me and grabs onto one of my new horns for stability. I cringe a little from the touch to my sensitive horn before Vex releases and I'm free to stand. I rise upwards and begin walking towards the blob. I find my pride stroked as the woman falls to her knees before me. I tower over her like I never could before and ask an obvious question.

"Azura did this to me?". The blob's top bobs up and down.

"Azura blessed you with the gifts when she discovered the betrayal she suffered.". I groan and feel my spiked tail flicking about behind me.

"Betrayal? I take it something's happened that I haven't been informed about.". Another nod from the blob.

"Azura had me prepare for you. Usually, she would demand a tribute or quest be completed for her favor. Instead, she has decided that all you need do is speak with her.". I don't bother wasting anymore time with the priestess or anything else. I turn towards the statue and look up into Azura's face. I find warm, living eyes looking down to meet my gaze. I hold my arms wide.

"Fine, you want to talk? Let's get down to talking.".

* * *

"A rather unorthodox way to grab a superior being's attention. I suppose it worked, though. You're here where you wanted.". I manage to finally come to and look around. A world of nothing but white encompasses me. I desperately sniff and catch something. I flip around and meet a being so beautiful and colorful it makes me want to fall to my knees and cry. Azura is a ball of gorgeous, swirling colors that seems to stretch for miles and miles around me until I'm trapped in her warm, comfortable glow of life. I'm still desperately sniffing and looking around inside the colors when the Prince speaks to me.

"I see you received my gifts. Good, I feared you might not take to them.". Two soft, warm hands come to rub the nubs on my back.

"I see the wings didn't take. Pity. I can fix that, though. All you need do is listen.". I begin nodding without even knowing why. I've become some Prince's monster, so what can listening to her really hurt?

"Good. Now, I fear I have some upsetting news for you. Every single Prince you've been visiting has been in touch with one another in a sort of alliance. Each gift bestowed upon you released your original Prince's hold on you, but the ultimate goal was to share you between us.". I feel a shudder run up my spine as I take in the fact I've been led on a chase leading to my own downfall. I keep smelling and spinning as I try to keep my wits about me.

"Why tell me? Why not take me over and consume me?". Azura cackles and I feel a shudder of pleasure run up me. I gasp and fall into two comforting, strong arms.

"I'm afraid your original Prince was involved in our dealings. We've been steadily cutting her off. At least, we _thought_ we were cutting her off.". I fill in the blanks.

"Vaermina is still controlling me.". A small laugh from right behind my ear. A warm breath washes over my neck. I find myself offering more of my neck to the Prince.

"Vaermina doesn't even know you exist. Mephala was the one pulling your strings, and now that she can't reach you she's pulling the strings of your little friend who came here. Now, Mephala is all posed to take you over.". I begin to question it.

"How-". I answer my own question before it's even out.

"Sex.". A nod against my neck followed by a small kiss. I don't push the Prince away as she keeps whispering in my ear.

"Mephala is sending her unknowing agents even now to take you to where she wants you. Then, when you're where she wants you, she'll consume you and be freed once again into the plane of Mundus where her brothers and sisters cannot follow. She'll have a mortal vessel to roam free in without anyone to ever stand against her.". I hear my own heart begin speeding up. The Princes once roamed Mundus at their own free will, but that was ages ago. Then, for a brief period of time, they could be called down by mortals on their special summoning days. Now, the Princes are banished and trapped on a plane away from Mundus.

A Prince, Mephala no less, having control over a mortal puppet to use to influence the world would be terrible. Mephala would use me to do her evil bidding and I'd be blessed with unholy powers so great nobody could stop me. I feel pleasure radiate from where Azura kissed my neck. I speak my mind.

"It doesn't make sense. Vex said she made a deal with Mephala.". Another laugh from behind me.

"Mephala is a clever bitch. She claimed she'd tell your little lover the name of who was possessing you if she "brought the Ebony Blade to her friend". Mephala never said _which_ friend. Mephala meant Vex had to bring the sword back to a woman named Sapphire to learn it was Mephala who was inside you. Your lover brought it to you because of her natural assumption "friend" meant you. Mephala just whispered "Vaermina" in Vex's ear after she handed the weapon to you. Mephala _never_ said it Vaermina was the one who had hold of you. Mephala even kissed your hand in your sleep and gave you the symbol of the bird to put you at ease.". I groan at how trusting my lover is before Azura continues filling me with knowledge. As she does, her hands begin to roam. I let them.

"Mephala has been pulling the strings on Vex just as much as she has you. My siblings and I were so busy freeing you for our own uses we never noticed our dear Mephala playing with your siblings and love. Now, she's moved us into checkmate and our final hope is this warning.". I shudder as she begins gently cupping my tits. I ask a question I know I shouldn't ask.

"What did you and the others originally plan for me?". A light kiss to my lips that has me closing my eyes from the swirling mass of colors I've never seen before today.

"To trade you between us. We'd all enter your mind, but you'd still control your body. We'd get to experience Mundus and play in the lives of mortals like we once did, but you'd remain none the wiser. Eventually, you'd die and we'd run down to whoever touched your corpse first. In that way, we'd have a freedom we've missed without ever arising suspicion. Mephala, obviously, wants something different.". Suddenly, my tits are twisted and my lips are bitten until they're gushing. I scream and Azura halts. Her next words send shudders throughout my entire body.

"She wants you to return to where she first laid her hands on you.". My voice is barely a whisper as I feel my forked tongue _click_ against my daggers I call teeth.

"The castle.". A small chuckle as the Prince finally stops using her wiles to get my attention and assures me my torture wasn't all a dream.

"Perfect. Now, do you know what you have to do to stop her?". I shake my head and look around at the Prince that's surrounding me in her beautiful glow.

"There will come a time when you must choose between you and someone you care deeply for. Let your loved one die and yourself live. That is the only way that you'll be forever free of Mephala's influence. Do you understand me?". I nod and hear a deal I can't refuse come from the cloud that's consumed me.

"If you manage to survive and not get consumed by Mephala, then I swear upon my word that I shall free you from all Princes influence and return your body to its normal state. You'll have done all Princes a favor by keeping Mephala from getting a mortal vessel. I think that's a good enough reason to give you your freedom from us forever, don't you agree?". I begin desperately nodding. The Prince laughs again and her light begins to disappear from around me. I sigh in disappointment at her leaving, but realize it must be done. The Prince leaves me with some final words to consider.

"I'd suggest getting ready to fight or fly. Mephala's pawns are closing in.". I scream as her hands suddenly dig back in and rip my back open.

* * *

 **Vex POV:**

My love arises as even more of a monster than she already was. Two large, leathery wings with white spikes at the ends and tips of them have sprouted from her back. The former Khajiit stretches her new appendages and looks at them. The priestess of Azura has backed off entirely to where I can barely see her at the bottom of the steps. My lover takes a single step towards me and stretches a clawed hand for me. I'm shivering in the cold, but stop the second I accept her hand and she pulls me into the warmth. Her hairless tail wraps around my waist as she kneels down and allows me to clamber in between her muscular wings. Her voice sounds more masculine as she speaks.

"We need to leave. Agents of Mephala are coming for us.". I don't even question her. At this point, nothing would surprise me. I grasp my lover with all my might as she begins testing her new wings. Horses beating up a storm of white behind them warn us of the agents coming to get us. I'm proven wrong in my earlier statement about surprise when my love's siblings arrive.


	40. Eternal Damnation

**Mephala POV:**

The time has come. Molag Bal, my only opponent, has strewn his pieces across the board in frustration and left the game for good. All of my pieces are now pushed together to form the perfect catalyst for my use. Now, there's only one last string to pull. I turn my main pawn's mind off. Instantly, the scene before me changes as my queen makes the final move I'll need. My perfected beast lunges for her brother's horse. She's ripped its head from its neck in a spray of blood within a second. Next, she turns towards her sister. She has more warning than their brother. The lizard manages to pull her horse into a rear before my pawn reaches her. My beauty's claws rip the best from belly to neck with ease.

Both horses collapse in the snow and begin staining it a delicious pink as their riders begin screaming and struggling to free themselves of their steeds. Finally, I turn one part of my pawn's mind back on: fear. My beast spreads her wings and takes off as her primal, feral sense of fear grips her and refuses to let go. I can't contain a smile that spreads across what passes for my face as I gently begin guiding my pawn where I want her. I use her fear to make her flee in the only "safe" direction in her eyes. My beautiful work is streaming across the sky quicker than any bird can fly, and below her my three others are gathering together. They'll follow. I already know they will.

* * *

 **Nair POV:**

Shadow and Wind are dead and I don't even bother pretending otherwise. Shadow died when his head was ripped from his body, and Wind died when Smart-Snake climbed off her and slit her throat to spreed up the slow death having her organs spilling out of her would bring. I'm sure Smart-Snake and I will mourn our horses later, but for now there's something I need to do that's more important: pull Snake off Vex. My Argonian sister is currently clawing at Vex for all she's worth, and if Vex drops her arms for even a second I have no doubt my sister will rip her face off. Thankfully, my sister isn't nearly as fat as she says she is and I easily heave her off my other sister's friend. I shove Smart-Snake as far away as I can.

My sister stumbles and looks at me with an expression of pure rage, but she doesn't charge me or challenge what I'm doing. Instead, she allows me to help Vex to her feet. The woman's hair is smashed down to her skull, she's naked, covered in snow, and has tremendous cuts all up and down her arms that are still seeping blood. I have a medical kit in Shadow's saddlebag along with a spare blanket or two, so I begin guiding Vex over there with a gentle grasp on her arm. My sister's friend allows me to bind her wounds tight after smearing them with ointment, then wipe her off with a blanket before wrapping her up in a different blanket.

I've been keeping myself calm for this entire time, but now my patience is starting to become thin. I've already wasted enough time on Vex, now I need to find out if my fears are true.

"Was that her?". Vex nods. I barely manage to move the Nord out of the way before Snake goes flying through the air where she was with her claws drawn and teeth bared.

"SNAKE!". I grab onto Vex and flip her around to face me.

"Did you do that?". She shakes her head and manages to whisper a single word.

"Mephala.". I feel myself freezing and, thankfully, Snake is doing the same.

 _This was all Mephala. It was her from the very beginning. She brought Vex into my sister's life to fuck her and complete the final bond Mephala needed to crawl into her. Mephala sent us here to give my sister a reason to panic. Her panic allowed Mephala to slide into her skull without so much as a twinge of suspicion. Mephala's been playing us since the very first day Vex came into our lives._

I realize my sister was flying south.

"Snake.". My sister's beside me in an instant as I let Vex free and turn to her.

"Mephala's making our sister go back to father. She's making her complete the ritual to become a knight.". Vex scoffs.

"She looks like a damned Daedra! There's no way in oblivion that your sister can become a knight looking like that!". I can't hold myself back anymore. I've been nice and calm and quiet for too long for someone who just watched his sister fly off to her doom. I flip towards Vex and practically roar. I can feel my ears flattened and my lips curling to reveal my fangs, but there's nothing I can do to stop it as I scream at her.

" _She can change her form!_ ". Vex's face seems to fall as she finally realizes how serious the situation we're in is.

"Well, that seems more serious.". Smart-Snake brings up a good point.

"Shadow and Wind aren't going to get us anywhere.". I nod and feel the weight of their deaths in the pink snow that goes _slush_ as I turn towards my sister.

"There's no way in oblivion we'll be able to catch up to her on foot. We'll have to go down to Dawnstar and pray they have at least two horses for sale.". A new voice speaks.

"They won't. And, you're nearest Winterhold for the record. Regardless, neither city has stables to house any horses they could possible sell. Besides, your friend is flying. Only a fool believes a horse can dare to match a raven's speed. Your friend will be killed by the time you catch up to her.". I turn and see a priestess of Azura dressed in her traditional blue and silver robes walking down towards us from her Prince's shrine. The Dunmer seems to smile from inside her cloak as she speaks.

"Unless you accept my help.".

* * *

 **Khajiit POV:**

My mind isn't my own. I know deep down that there's nothing to be afraid of. I know that my brother, sister, and lover won't hurt me. That doesn't stop the terror that's taken my heart. I find it hard to breathe as my entire body shakes with fear. Some feral, deep urge is causing me to flee. I know it's not true, but in the deepest part of my heart I know that if I stop flying for even a second I'll die. Fuck, I don't even know how to fly and my fear is still pushing me forward in what I'm assuming is the stupidest looking flight ever. My terror is overtaking me so much all I know how to do is desperately flail my wings while attempting to "swim" through the air.

It's getting me wherever I'm going at a speed I never knew any flying creature could go, but I don't know if I'll arrive soon because I have no idea where I'm going. Thankfully, my fear cools. I still want to keep moving forward, but now I can be a little braver and come "back" into my body to look around. Carefully, I begin flapping with longer, smoother strokes until I'm gliding on a cool, refreshing stream of air. I allow my arms and legs to dangle below me since they don't seem to be hindering my speed in the slightest. Finally, I relax my tail to let it stream wildly behind me and flatten my ears to protect them from the wind. Oddly, my eyes seem not to be bothered by the wind and I'm able to safely look at the ground below me.

I know I'm being controlled by a Prince and probably flying towards my doom, but the sight below me almost makes it worth it. Fields of vibrant green that stretch on forever, veins of deep blue that run through the landscape, and gorgeous clods of deeper green surrounding white, powdery peaks atop stone colossus mountains. I can even see small dots of brown the sizes of ants that are either bears or deer. The smell from there is carried on the wind, but not quite strong enough I can make out what it is. I feel a feral part of my brain urging me downwards. I point my claws downwards and curl my wings underneath my shoulders. Another sense of immense terror consumes me, but there's something in the back of my skull.

A soft, comforting feeling that urges me steadily downwards without an ounce of concern. The land blurs up to meet me until I find myself look at the back of a rapidly growing elk. I pull my wings out at the last moment _just_ as I come down upon my prey. The elk's knees _snap_ and blood spurts from him at all angles, but I ignore his scream and all the momentum that's been put down upon his spine. I begin pulling myself skywards again. The elk is consumed and my mouth soaked in blood by the time I reach the proper height in the sky. I'll need every bit of strength if I'm to reach my destination by morning. I don't feel myself drifting off.

* * *

 **? POV:**

I dream of my children. I dream of Smart-Snake skinned and bloody in a pile of snow with her head nowhere in sight. I dream of Nair being devoured by three wolves who gnaw on his marrow and lap up his blood. I dream of my last child as a nameless, mindless monster chained and dying on the altar where I tried freeing her so long ago. My final vision is of a nameless Imperial with hair the color of the northern snowy areas of her home province coming forward and slitting my beastly daughter's throat open and pulling her innards out through the weeping wound. I already know what's wrong before I even awake. My daughter's failed and her siblings couldn't stop her from falling.

The daughter who'll never call me "father" has a Prince fully inside her, and now she's coming back to where she can fully allow the Daedric Prince inside her to fully break free of her skin and roam this plane like they once did. I'm not sure what happened to Nair and Smart-Snake, or who the nameless woman was, but but I do know that my deepest fear has come true. The body of my daughter carrying a Prince is coming back here, and I need to be ready for when she comes. I can't slay her alone, though. I find my wife in the kitchen still in her nightgown with a cup of steaming tea clasped between her clawed hands. Briefly, I allow myself to be distracted by her beauty.

Gorgeous, violet scales that cover her entire body until the lighter, pinkish scales on the fins of her head. My wife's sharp face twists slightly in an expression only a fellow Argonian like myself could read as concern. I don't put her at ease as I cross the kitchen and begin donning my armor and pulling my sword down from the wall.

"Cat-Face?". I grunt to show her I hear her as I finish strapping my shield to my arm and carefully weighing my sword in my hand. Finally, I put my helmet on and turn to my wife. I feel my love for her swell as I see she's already put her own white, knightly armor on and has her mace dangling from her hip. Her voice is slightly muffled behind the helmet, but I can make it out.

"What's wrong?". I bring her into my arms and rest my helm against hers. I earn myself a chuckle, but her laughing falls off as I whisper her name like a prayer.

"Travelling-New-Woman.". I feel her tail coming around behind my legs and reach my own to touch hers. I wait until I feel her touch, thick scales curled around mine before I whisper what's wrong to her.

"Our daughter's coming home.". I feel her arms, which wrapped around me, tighten. She knows there's only one reason we'd need to be armed and armored to meet our adopted Khajiit daughter when she returns back to us. I hold her as she cries.


	41. Crucifixion of Saint Peter

**Vex POV:**

What the priestess of Azura offered us should've been impossible. For Azura to simply _change_ where we were doesn't even sound like she could do it. The priestess assured us the that she could communicate with her Prince and simply get Azura to snap her fingers and move us all the way down into Bruma in Cyrodiil where Nair's parents are. Nair and Snake were reluctant to take the deal, but the idea of their sister getting killed is ultimately what made them decide to take it. Now, however, even I'm beginning to regret taking her up on her offer. I can only describe the agony I'm going through as being skinned alive and torn inside out all at once. I don't even realize the priestess delivered on her promise at first.

I feel hard, unforgiving stone beneath my hands and knees, but the pain still radiates from the pit of my stomach to everywhere else. The pain is only relieved when Nair apparently uses some healing spell on me if the soothing, comforting feeling washing over me is anything to judge by. Finally, I'm helped to my feet by two pairs of hands. My vision swims, but slowly I come to and can see where we've been delivered to. A quaint, tiny homestead without too many decorations and wooden furniture that looks like it's almost worn away from years and years of use. Nair is holding me up on my right and Snake on my left. My voice is slurred.

"Where are we?". Nair and Snake are in better condition than I for some reason.

"Our parent's house.". Snake whispers something.

"Nair...". I look at them both and see them both looking towards a wall. I follow their gaze and see some wooden pegs in the wall for where armor and weapons should be hanged. Even I'm not thick enough to not know what that means; their parents are armed and armored. I begin stumbling as Nair and Snake begin turning me around towards the door. I allow the two to basically carry me out as I slur at them.

"Where they at?". Snake is the one that answers me this time.

"They'll be where our sister is most likely to show up, so they're probably with a group of knights at the Altar of Kynareth where they tried purging her of Mephala when she was just a child.". I nod as I finally regain some of my senses. I manage to stand as the two siblings begin leading me into a thick, tangled woods full of brush with little paths. Thankfully, their parents left an easy trail of broken branches, trampled bushes, and snapped twigs to follow. I'm, thankfully, walking on my own by the time we begin to near the site. I only know we're approaching it when Nair and Snake begin to slow down and Nair offers me a warning.

"Don't expect this to be pretty. I doubt Mephala will release my sister without some bloodshed.". I nod in complete understanding. A Daedric Prince in a mortal host would have power they haven't seen since they walked this realm on their own and when they had Summoning Days. I can't blame Mephala for not wanting to let that opportunity go. Thankfully, the Prince isn't awaiting us when we reach the large clearing in the woods. Two armored knights with reptilian tails are standing in front of a gorgeous altar dedicated to Kynareth. The Goddess is standing tall at ten feet high in all her beauty with a flowing robe trailing down her body, and above her angelic face a crown of flowers. A rose in her left hand with her right hand resting atop a bear's head further show the essence of Kynareth.

The statue is made of carved, living wood with veins of sap and moss crawling up it. The back of Kynareth's head is covered in living leaves and a few flowers have sprouted along the bear's back. Before her feet, a large, circular area for offerings is set up. I see rotten, rusted chains and old, dried blood on the offering circle and remember being told about the first time my lover was almost killed here in an attempt to free her of the then unknown Prince inside her. I shudder as I realize Mephala coming here to finish what she started could very well lead to the death of the woman I love.

 _I won't let that happen._

Suddenly, as all three of us are walking towards the two Argonian knights, I voice a concern.

"Why are there only two knights? Why wouldn't your parents bring more backup with them?". A hard, tired voice from one of the knightly figures answers me.

"Because we want to bury our daughter and have a place to mourn her. The Knights of the Eight would force us to burn her corpse and release her ashes into a blessed stream to assure she could never return. We'll have to maim her to make sure she'll be crippled if she ever manages to return to her mortal vessel, but we'll at least have somewhere to lay flowers and remember the child we once raised.". The Argonian figure that didn't speak begins shaking. My love's father reaches out and wraps his arm around his wife. Nair, Snake, and I all come around to face them from the front. Their father speaks first to me.

"I don't believe I've had the honor of meeting you. I'm Cat-Face. I assume my daughter has wronged you in some way?". I nod and, against Nair's better wishes if his tugging on my hand is anything to judge by, tell them what their daughter is to me.

"She's wronged me by making me fall in love with her.". A sob resonates from their mother and she grasps at her husband. Cat-Face offers her some comfort as he once again speaks to me.

"You have my sincerest apologies for that. I fear if you stay you'll have to watch the woman you love die.". Snake finally seems to speak up.

"Dad!". Cat-Face and his wife both look towards Smart-Snake.

"It's Mephala! Mephala did all this, and if you kill her she'll be able to use the corpse!". I elbow Nair and hiss to him.

"That true?". The adopted mother of my love must have heard me because she begins nodding, then speaks in a voice soft as lamb's wool.

"Mephala is one of the strongest Princes. A dead corpse would slow her down, but the purification ritual on the body is the only way to stop her from simply taking over the corpse since it has traces of her presence on it.". Cat-Face doesn't put me at ease.

"We'll have to do the ritual. We'll just have to come here to mourn our daughter.". The woman sobs again. Desperately, I try to think of anything that could help. Then, it hits me. Cat-Face looks ready to speak again, but I cut him off.

"Mephala doesn't need your daughter to become a knight.". Everyone turns to me, so I keep going.

"Mephala knew damned well that Nair and Snake knew when their sister became corrupted, and she probably knew you two would know. She doesn't need her vessel to become a knight, she needs something else that she needs all of us in this exact same location to get!".

"Are we sure about that?". Five screams fill the otherwise quiet air as a sixth voice who just joined us rings out. She's standing in between Nair and myself. Her hands are behind her back and her tail's curled round one of her legs. Even her wings are folded up and her mouth mildly closed over her fangs. I don't know how long she's been here, but she went unnoticed by all of us. Nair is the first to react. He attempts to bring his hands out to grasp onto his sister. Her tail flicks over to him and slashes the back of his leg wide open right through his armor. Nair goes down howling as the major tendon in the back of his leg is cut cleanly in two. Snake soon finds herself in the same position regardless of the fact she's attempting to move _away_ from her sister when she strikes.

Finally, it's apparently _my_ turn to me slashed with her new demonic tail. Only my tendon isn't cut; instead, her tail wraps around my waist with crushing strength and pulls me underneath both the woman's arm and wing that both wrap around my shoulder. Cat-Face and his wife both have their weapons drawn by the time my head stops spinning from being twirled around by my lover's tail. Cat-Face has a sword pulled from his belt while his wife has a mace. I know for a damned fact that neither of those things can beat the gifts my love's been given.

Suddenly, I'm yanked backwards and my vision blurs at the speed of our movements. All I feel is my lover's wings beating lightly against my head. Finally, I snap back into myself and find I'm wrapped tightly in my friend's embrace as she leans atop Kynareth's shoulders. Cat-Face and his wife begin to draw their bows.

"You don't get it, do you?". I shudder. The once Khajiit's voice has taken on a deeper, smoother tone. I look at her face and see eyes pure black looking down at her parents.

"I don't _need_ you.". A monstrous, clawed hand comes to rest on Kynareth's face. Then, her other hand comes over and I feel long, serrated claws coming to rest on my cheek.

"I only need Vex and a will to finish this transformation." Suddenly, a loud _cracking_ noise rings out and I slit my face open as I turn to see what's happening. Kynareth's kind, beautiful face has been torn asunder into a massed mess of splinters. Slowly, my lover draws her bleeding, splinter-filled hand back and begins shaking it. Wood goes flying and when she's done her hand is back to normal. I look down upon my friends and feel my heart sink. Snake and Nair are still on the ground trying to stop their bleeding (permanently crippled due to their severed tendons) while Cat-Face and his wife both have their bows loaded and aimed without firing. Two arrows fly towards my love as I watch.

Easily, she snatches them from the air and tosses them back at her parents. Cat-Face's wife howls as an arrow lodges itself into her stomach, but Cat-Face manages to get his shield up in time for it to _crack_ into two separate pieces. My lover stretches her wings and says her farewells to the family she's slaughtered.

"I'd love to stick around, but the time's come for me to finish what you failed to even start.". Her backwards facing legs toss her high into the air, and her wings easily stretch open and catch the small breeze. The once Khajiit cackles and holds me tight in her arms as she begins flying through the air. Her skin is burning hot, and I feel more than a few spikes digging into my skin that's only protected by the blanket Nair gave me earlier. Suddenly, I look down and (after a bout of sickness) and notice something that causes my stomach to roll. The trees are steadily getting taller and taller, and the flora and fauna down on the ground don't look even remotely possible.

Animals too large to make sense, leaves too bright and twirled, and bushes too large and ruffled. Everything looks like it shouldn't be possible and is some sick version of what's actually able to be real. I remember the stories I've been told by the Khajiit. Instantly, I begin fighting. She might be able to take me to that damned castle, but she'll have to fight me first.


	42. Loving the Devil

**Cat-Face POV:**

I love my eldest daughter, but tending to my son and younger daughter comes first. Nair and Smart-Snake are both writhing on the ground and gushing blood when we reach them. I cringe in sympathy as Travelling-New-Woman tends to our son and leaves me tending to our daughter. Smart-Snake's armor at the back of her right leg has been cleanly cut in two as if by a sword, and even from this awkward angle I can see it's been cut clean down into the bone. Carefully, I grab my daughter's shoulder and urge her onto her stomach. She continues howling in agony and trying to squirm away, but after a few minutes I manage to get her to awkwardly flop onto her face and chest.

Finally, all it takes is insistently tugging her fingers away from where they're clutching the wound. It takes twice as long as it did to get her to roll over and I'm painfully aware that we're losing ground on my other daughter with every second, but there's nothing to be done for it. Eventually, Smart-Snake gives in. My daughter releases her wound and brings her claws up beside her head to dig roughly into the dirt. Her screaming and her tail desperately flailing around never stop for a moment. I cringe once again in sympathy for my daughter. Her armor's been cleanly cut away and I can see down deep enough into her leg to see a small cut on her bone itself.

I quickly unclasp my armor and reach underneath until I'm grasping my undershirt. I rip a large swatch of it out and shove it inside the wound to stance the bleeding. I repeat the process until I have enough cloth to staunch the bleeding, bind the wound, and tourniquet the leg. Smart-Snake got her name due to her unusual cleverness, so I trust her to be smart enough to take off the tourniquet if it starts harming her.

Finally, I roll my daughter back onto her back in a comfortable patch of particularly puffy grass. My daughter's closed her eyes and she's breathing heavily, but I doubt that she'll end up dying since the bleeding's been stopped. Thankfully, Travelling-New-Woman has taken care of Nair and gently pulls him up beside Smart-Snake. My wife goes to look off into the woods where our eldest child disappeared to while I tell my children what we'll have to do.

"Your mother and I have to go find where Vex and your sister went off to. I swear to you, if we can bring them back alive we will. I can't promise that, though. Please, prepare yourself for the worst and pray for the best.". Smart-Snake groans in pain, and all Nair manages to do is weakly nod in my general direction. I rise and walk over to where the love of my life is gazing off into the dark, tangled mess that's the woods.

 _Odd, I don't remember the forest being this dark or tangled at all._

My wife elaborates.

"We're here.". I adjust the shield on my arm and take my sword back out.

"Good to know. Now, where is "here"?". My wife has an answer for that.

"Do you remember when you rescued our daughter?". I nod. How could I ever forget? I rode off to find my best friend's daughter who'd been missing for almost a year by that point. I expected to find her enslaved, tortured, and abuse by bandits at best, or a rotting corpse at worst. Instead, I found her riding a gigantic wolf and whispering gibberish about some castle and an Orc woman who touched her genitals to see if she was "ready" or not.

Everyone assumed it was a fever dream and that Sif simply didn't eat her because he mistook her for his own child. Given the fur, teeth, and claws my adopted daughter has, it wouldn't have been a shock a wolf who lost a child assumed she was theirs. Even learning she was possessed didn't stop that. I mean, who would've thought a forest of gigantic trees and tremendous creatures was even possible? Now, however, it appears I was wrong.

"You really think we're in the land where gigantic wolves run and castles of Orc necromancers live?". My wife points off to something in the woods.

"Explain that if we aren't.". I follow her finger. An odd, bleached tree is coming out of a tremendous pile of ragged bushes. The tree is odd, I'll give it that. Slender for a tree, odd lines running up it, and with only an occasional branch on one side that looks like a pointed triangle. Finally, it hits me and I whisper what the tree really is.

"An antler!". I look to my wife and see her nodding.

"An antler the size of a tree. Only a deer of tremendous size would possible have left that.". I shake my head in disbelief and warn my love.

"Giant deer need to be eaten by giant wolves. Giant wolves won't hunt us since we're hardly more than a mouthful to them, but a wolf or deer could easily accidentally crush us beneath their feet.". My wife nods in agreement.

"We'll need to be careful of nature that isn't living as well. Streams as large as oceans and wind as strong as a hurricane could easily sweep us away.". I sigh and look up towards the sky.

"Our daughter can fly above the hazards, and she already has an hour start on us.". My love only makes things worse.

"She's also been here before and should know the layout. If she doesn't, then Mephala will just tell her where to go. So, we'll be wandering around blind while she has a map imprinted on her brain. We'll be lucky to catch her at all.". I shake my head again.

"Things just keep getting worse and worse and worse. There's no way in oblivion we'll ever be able to save Vex, let alone our daughter.". A short, gruff bark tells me someone agrees with me. I flip around to see Sif sitting solemnly behind me. His ears are flipped back and his tail isn't wagging at all. I say his name quiet as I can.

"Sif...". My wife turns. The two always had a better relationship than him and I, so I'm not shocked when Sif's tail begins wagging. My wife speaks to him in a high voice as if he were a babe.

"Do you know where your mistress is?". Both of us freeze up as Sif nods his head up and down. I swallow thickly and ask the next question.

"Can you take us to her?". Another nod. My wife throws in one last question.

"Who's a good boy?". Sif wags his tail harder and _thumps_ his chest with his head.

"That's right, you're the good boy!". I reach out and lightly shove my wife's shoulder. She offers me a laugh. Sif grows more grim as he looks back to me.

"Please, take us to her.". Sif rises and pushes past both of us. Instantly, New-Travelling-Woman and I are charging after him. The wolf is hard to follow in the underbrush, but the tip of his tail is slightly more grey than the rest of his body and helps us keep track of him. I know already if everything turns up alright I'll owe it to Sif. He guides us through woods where we can actually walk, other animals flee at his presence, and takes us in a path I can already tell will get us where we're going soon. Hopefully, it's enough.

* * *

 **Mephala POV:**

The Divines have woken. The weak, pathetic remnants can't touch me here. These are my woods, and they hold no sway here. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean they can't try to stop me. I feel Kynareth weakly urging the animals to rise up against me, the woods to crumple and turn to ash, and the water to dry up and come back down in a tsunami aimed specifically on me. The animals shrug off her influence, the woods ignore her, and the water shrugs at best. The only thing she can touch is the wind since I didn't form that by myself. I created the land, water, and everything else, and the wind simply fell into place after I was done. The wind begins tugging at my wings.

Mephala can't make it strong enough to rip my wings to shreds like she wants or knock me completely off course, but she slows me down. I snarl and toss Vex. The woman screams, then falls silent as my tail comes down to wrap tightly around her waist. Now my hands are free to work. I'd prefer molding and forming this body into something strong enough to break through the winds, but this sack of meat can't be transformed anymore without breaking. I have to settle for bringing my hands up to grasp at my wings, then using my arms to force the wings down harder and quicker. It doesn't work and the wind keeps dragging me backwards. I find myself growling to a Divine that can't even hear me.

"You had your chance, now let me have mine.". I bring my arms down even harder and faster. My pawn's bones threaten to break and her skin begins to break apart slowly, but in the end I win. Kynareth keeps trying to pull me back, and slowly I begin moving forward. The Divine doesn't ease up or ever give up, so I'm forced to keep putting all my strength into moving forward. Below me, Vex is screaming and howling something I can't hear over the wind. Eventually, the castle where I'll sacrifice my pawn and bring my true form forth comes into sight. I send a warning out to the Orc I know has been waiting for me all these years. I warn her to be ready, and to prepare the chamber where I should've been brought forth the first time to be brought forth a second time.

This time, a group of knights sent by the Knights of the Nine won't stop me. I've made this world more dangerous than ever before, and no outsiders can get through without be or some other Divine or Prince dragging them through. Of course, I'd feel if some other Prince or Divine forced someone into this world I've created. That's how I know I'm completely alone and have all the time in the world to get my pawn to where I need her to be. That doesn't mean I want to drag this out, though. The sooner I've shed this skin, then the sooner I'm finally free.

Vex is howling and screaming something beneath me that I don't hear in the slightest. The previous owner of this body is still alive and reacts vaguely to the words being spoken. The Khajiit is nestled in the back of my skull, a child swaddled by a mother's loving blanket. Azura betrayed all the other Princes involved in the cat's creation. Azura agreed to share the knight with me as long as I could finish the ritual for us. Her part of the deal was to soothe the Khajiit once she was consumed by us since, technically, her mind shall never be destroyed by whoever takes her over. Azura was a fool by giving me the aura that soothes every Khajiit ever born. Even now, the Khajiit knight I've inhabited for so long is easily calmed and reverted to an almost infantile state.

Azura created her people, so the aura surrounding her is as comforting to her as a mother's womb is to a babe. Vex's words might stir her mind, but the aura of her true mother is too thick to ever throw off. The Khajiit moves around inside herself for a moment; though, she just settles down in a more comfortable position in her head and drowns in Azura's blanket of motherhood. Slowly, her mind begins to lose itself until all she knows is being held by her true mother. I smile as I keep flying.


	43. Hearing Heaven

I didn't build this castle by myself, but I know each and every inch of it as well as I know the skin I'm currently wearing. I curl aching wings upwards as I land and swing Vex up above my back as I fall to my puppet's hands and feet. I adjust her bones a bit to make walking easier, then begin strutting through the iron gates that're wide open for me. Behind and above me, Vex is screaming and howling. There's nothing she can do to stop this. Only a Divine or Prince swooping down to save the day could put this off, and there's no chance of that happening. The Divine can't reach me and the other Princes are either licking their wounds from my betrayal or too weak and afraid to challenge me.

All I need done is to take my puppet down to the depths where she should've been claimed as mine and complete the ritual. This time, some bull won't have to substitute for what I want. Vex will make a perfect sacrifice for the bringing of my new form. Speaking of which, the woman's still screaming and begging as I charge through the silent castle. The palace is dark, dirty, and has a thick layer of dust that kicks up small clouds as I run. This place only has one occupant, so it's no surprise she isn't taking care of it. Irregardless, I know where to go and I can sense where my final pawn is. I take a curving flight of stairs downwards and reach the door to the dungeon where I'll be reborn.

The rickety, ancient wood flies off its handle as I break down the door and crawl into the dungeon. Torches ignite on all sides of the room and reveal where I'll come back to my full power. A statue of me with an upturned vase stands above the tub where I'll rid myself of this filth. Around it, the skeletons of my failed subjects greet me. A scuffling in a corner reveals my tool has arrived. The rat is fat, black and without a tail. She rushes up beside me before transforming using the gift I gave her. She turns back into her Orcish self kneeling at my feet.

"Mephala.". She says my name in her rasping voice like a prayer. I scoff and shove Vex at her. The woman stands and struggles to grasp Vex. I ignore both of them and walk over to the tub. I sldie into it and take up the proper position without any further annoyances. "Begin the ritual.". Vex screams even louder as the Orc drags her over beside the tub. Usually, the ritual would be picked up where it was stopped and completed within a minute or two. Sadly, with only one follower left that can't be done. The Orc will have to begin the ritual all over again and do it by herself. It'll take hours upon hours, but there's no reason to rush. I'm here, ready to be changed, and everything is perfectly in place. I close my eyes as the ritual begins again. I'll be in my new form soon enough.

* * *

 **Cat-Face POV:**

Sif walks these woods as if he knows them, so it's clear to me now that he actually came from this giant forest. In fact, Sif is actually the perfect guide. Animals flee from him, he knows exactly where to go, and he's quick enough we don't have to worry about getting there on time. It's almost as if the wind is urging us forward as we charge quicker and quicker to wherever Sif is leading us. I originally thought it'd be better if Sif remained with Nair and Smart-Snake to guard them, but now I realize having him guide us might just save our final daughter's life. The wolf's quick enough the off-grey color of his tail is the only part we see at some times. He doesn't stop, pause, or even sniff; instead, he just keeps charging straight ahead as if he knows where we're going which, given the circumstances, he probably does.

Sure enough, when we finally exit the woods to a flattened area, a castle is awaiting us. Sif lets out a single bark before pounding up the path and stopping right at the open, iron gates awaiting us. Neither Travelling-New-Woman or myself hesitate. If that's where our daughter and Vex are being held, then that's where we're going to go. Thankfully, Sif comes with us and continues guiding us. If it wasn't for him, then I doubt we would've gotten here in time or even stand a chance of beating Mephala.

Sif guides us through a darkened and quiet passage until we reach a set of steps. Sif takes the steps slower than I'd like, but ultimately we reach the dungeon where we needed to go. The sight before me causes my stomach to clench in both panic and pity. My daughter is lying prostate in a tub awaiting the ritual's completion, and beside her Vex being held captive by a chanting woman. The woman, however, is what sends pity through my heart. For so long, I thought my eldest daughter was lying about the Orcish woman who touched her genitals and ate her flesh, or that it was some nightmare she didn't know was all in her head. The decaying, undead Orc holding Vex captive attest that her tale was true.

That means her entire tale was true. The torture, abuse, and oblivion she went through at the hands of an Orcish cult was real. A heat burns in my belly and I charge at the Orc without thinking. All I want to do is take revenge on her for what she's done to my daughter and what she's trying to do. A thin, red barrier of magic surrounding the ritual area that pops into visibility when I hit it is what stops me. My shoulder screams as I ram into it, but I don't hesitate to walk backwards and ram against it again. Sif, meanwhile, has walked up beside me and is wagging his tail while looking through the barrier at his master. I back up for another try. I'll never give up.

* * *

 **Vex POV:**

My lover's returned to normal by now. Her wings have disappeared and her skin has gone back to normal and even her claws have become smaller. She's shuddering and shaking as she awaits her fate. A single, strong hand clamped around my wrist is all that's keeping me from helping her. Then, my salvation come. A _thunk_ alerts me to someone else have entered the dungeon. When I look up, I see Cat-Face and his wife beating against a magic barrier the Orc must have put up. Instantly, I reach for them. My fingers brush the shield, but there's little I can do to help. The woman holding me won't stop no matter what I do, so making her take down the barrier is going to be impossible.

I look towards the two Argonians and see an even worse situation unfolding. Behind them, Smart-Snake and Nair are hobbling down the stairs. I'm not sure how long it would take two heavily wounded people to crawl through the woods and get here, but it means hours must have passed with the ritual still happening. I bite my lip and begin desperately trying to think of any possible way to get out of here. Ultimately, it's the most unexpected person who gives me an idea on how to get out of here. I look down near the floor and see Sif calmly sitting and looking at me dead in the eyes without any sign of backing down. Slowly, I stop struggling against the Orc holding me. Sif opens his mouth wide and I see it. A missing fang. I whisper his name as quiet as I can.

"Sif?". The wolf closes its jaws and shakes its head. I swallow and guess.

"Molag Bal?". The wolf manages to look almost offended as he shakes his head. I give up on deciding what Prince is inside the wolf. Instead, I just try talking to him.

"I lost the knife.". The wolf huffs and shakes his head. Then, Sif opens his mouth a second time to reveal a second fang missing. Finally, Sif _snaps_ his jaws shut, hops up, and points at the ground. I follow his nose and see another knife resting beside my foot. The Orc keeps holding me, but her arm's long enough I'm able to reach down and grab the weapon. Again, the blade is made of a large, serrated wolf's tooth with sinew attaching it to a handle made of bone. I raise the blade towards the Orc and look at Sif. The wolf shakes his head and I realize what the knife is for. Still, I mouth my question to Sif.

"The barrier?". The wolf begins wagging his tail wildly and nodding. I don't waste another second. I slash across the barrier with all my might. No crash or noise happens and the barrier just flickers away into nothingness. That's not important, though. What's important is the fact the two Argonian knights, the two injured Khajiit, Sif, and the group containing me are no longer separated.

The Orc must realize the barrier is down, but she has no choice but to simply begin howling faster in an attempt to finish the ceremony. The Khajiit body in the tub twitches, but doesn't rise. Finally, the attack begins. Sif _cracks_ the Orc priestess' arm cleanly in two and allows me to charge free with a bloody stump still grasping my arm. For her part, the Orc doesn't stop even as Sif rears up and bites her deep enough in the back of the neck he pulls out her spine when he falls back to the ground. The Orc gags and blood spews from her mouth, but some unholy magic keeping her alive compels her to continue speaking. Finally, as Cat-Face and his wife reach their daughter, Sif finishes off the Orc priestess by cleanly tearing off her head.

I shake the arm from me and, slowly, begin walking back to where everyone's beginning to gather. It's quickly proven to be a mistake. I'm not sure what's going on with the Khajiit or if there's still something inside of her, but when she leaps from the tub it's not as herself. The love of my life has been returned completely to normal through some work of Mephala's, but there's a rage in her eyes not her own. Even now, her family is scuttling away from her as her parents draw their weapons. My lover answers by falling into a crouch with both her fangs and clawed bared for battle.

I'd love to assist my side in the battle and detain my love, but there's still a major problem: I'm defenseless. I'm still dressed in the cloak Nair gave me with no weapons to my name other than my wits. I left everything of important back on Lucky, and he's three days away from here probably wondering why he hasn't gotten brushed today. That still doesn't mean I can't help, though. I look around for anything of use and eventually find it. A skull attached to a skeleton clutching a sword the perfect size for throwing.

I aim carefully as my love prepares to pounce; then, I strike. The skull _thunks_ the ground five feet away from her without ever getting close to hitting her. My love watches it roll by her before flipping her snarling head my way. I suddenly realize the skeleton I got the skull from had a sword in its hand and I'm a fool to have ignored it. I'm about to turn and grab it when my love charges.


	44. Armageddon

I only have a second to think when my Khajiit love grasps me and flips me around. I only have a single moment to think of what could get Mephala to leave this body and never come back. My heart aches as I do what I think will chase the Prince from the love of my life. I take the knife Sif gave me and swing it at her knee. I expect nothing to happen or for me to simply nick her skin and cut her a little. I wanted to cut her leg off, but deep down I knew it wouldn't work. That's why I'm completely and utterly shocked when her knee seems to be made of butter and my blade is a burning knife. Tendons, bone, muscle, and fat all part with ease as her leg is torn apart like wet bread.

I cringe and almost weep as a pained, inhuman scream of pure agony rips from my love's throat. She releases me and is instantly grasping her ruined, bloody mess of a leg. Already, I can see that Mephala has left her. That doesn't mean she's left this room, but she's at least out of my love. I'd love nothing more than to fall to my knees, take her in my arms, and kiss away the pain. I know that won't work, though. I've just severed a major artery in her leg and unless it's pinched closed she'll bleed out within minutes. So, ignoring her cursing and questions that're being screamed at me, I kneel and shove her hands to the side to see what I have to work with.

The artery hasn't retracted yet, but that doesn't mean it won't. I need to pinch it shut and hang on tight or else there's a chance it'll go up inside the Khajiit's leg and I won't be able to close it. I ignore the blood now gushing around my hand and use my fingers to pinch her major artery closed. The blood instantly slows to a trickle until just tiny veins are spewing around my hand. They'll scab up on their own and she can't bleed out through those, so they aren't worrying me. The woman's still thrashing in pain and smacking me, but I use my medical training to block out what's happening around me. I almost scream in joy when my lover finally begins going into shock.

Shock isn't exactly a _good_ thing, but it means she can't make things worse. And, I don't mean she's medically going into shock because she's losing so much blood. I mean she's mentally beginning to shut down because Mephala just left her and she just lost a leg. I'm still pinching her artery closed when I hear the _scratch_ of someone picking up my blade. I turn and expect to see Mephala or her Orc puppet picking up my knife. Instead, I see Sif without a knife in sight. He licks his lips and I see all his teeth back in place. I ask an obvious question to the wolf.

"Are you a Prince?". A shake of the head, but I'm not fooled.

"Are you the tool of a Prince?". Another shake. I take a wild guess I doubt is right.

"A Divine?". The wolf shakes his head, then nods it before going back to shaking it.

"The tool of a Divine?". The wolf shakes his head up and down wildly. I smile a little and the wolf smiles back.

"So, you going to be hanging around to show your master your new ability?". The wolf nods and walks over to where I'm standing to sit down. Sif seems to be looking at her knee with fascination if his lupine face is to be read properly.

"So, you going to be this smart when she comes to?". He shakes his head.

"Ah. I see. A temporary intelligence when we were too stupid to realize what the Divine wanted, huh?". A nod that has me chuckling.

"Seems a bit fucked to bless you with sentience just to rip it away.". A shake of the head as the wolf keeps looking at his master's leg.

"Let me guess, you can fix this?". A growl and revealed teeth that warn me against mocking the wolf.

"No harm done, then. So, when you gonna go back to being a stupid wolf?". Another growl.

"Obviously not right now.". My one-sided conversation with the wolf dies off. I continue holding the artery and letting my hand get soiled, but now I can spare a glance around the room. The Orc priestess has been hacked into millions of pieces, and Cat-Face and his wife are helping Nair and Smart-Snake over to where we are. I spare Sif one last question.

"Is Mephala gone?". He shakes his head. I bite my lip and ask one last question before the others join us.

"Will she be in one of us before we leave?". A nod that I can't keep questioning as the others arrive. I doubt all the holy knights would be willing to let Sif live if they knew he was sentient and could understand us. Nair and Smart-Snake are both laid down beside their sibling as Cat-Face kneels down beside me on the left and his wife on the right. His wife manages to spare an introduction.

"I'm Travelling-New-Woman.". I grunt and Cat-Face keeps the conversation going.

"Is there any possible way we could get her back to Cyrodiil in this condition?". I tell him what we're going to need to do to keep her from bleeding out.

"Someone is going to have to keep this artery pinched until we get back.". Cat-Face offers a terrible suggestion.

"Can't we just set fire to the wound?". I shake my head.

"Cauterizing it would mean we'd have to amputate part of her leg later and deal with the same problem. We'll need to get her back to Cyrodiil and find something to properly tie her vein off until her wound heals itself.". I look at Nair and Smart-Snake.

"Those two should be fine. If they haven't bled out the entire way here and throughout the fighting, then they aren't going to bleed out anytime soon.". Woman is the first to question me.

"You went to school to learn about Khajiit and Argonian bodies?". I can hear from the tone in her voice she expects me to say "no" so she can make some sharp remark.

"I spent ten years learning about Khjiit and Argonian bodies, yes. Their veins are deep enough their ligaments allowing them to walk could easily be cut without the major artery that runs down their veining being severed. That's probably what Mephala was going for. She wanted to crippled but not kill them.". A pause.

"Oh.". Cat rescues his wife by asking me a question.

"Is there anything we can do for them?". I examine the two and end up shaking my head.

"I wouldn't suggest them walking on their wounded legs, but they could either hop back or lean against something. Honestly, I'd suggest you get them some sticks to walk on because there's no way in oblivion,". I tap my lover. "she'll be able to walk at all. Having Nair and Snake walking isn't ideal, but having her walk is impossible without killing her.". Cat-Face rises.

"I'll go back outside and find some sticks. Travelling-New-Woman, try to find some cloth. I'll bring enough cloth back we can make a sling to carry our daughter back in, but it'd still be nice if you found some just to be safe.". A new voice from the floor interrupts us.

"Snake, can you walk at all?". I turn my attention to Nair and smile at what I see. It's obvious he's hurting and his face is filthy, but he's conscious and looking at Snake. That's enough reason to smile. That, and his concern for his sister. Thankfully, Smart-Snake is also awake and is more than willing to cooperate.

"I'm good enough to walk. Even if I wasn't, we're not leaving our sister behind.". Nair chuckles and allows his head to fall backwards.

"Amen to that.". Cat-Face whistles and begins walking.

"Come on, Sif. You can help me find some sticks.". Sif barks and doesn't show his intelligence as he runs after his master like any dog would. Meanwhile, I try to get Travelling-New-Woman to help me.

"Woman?". She hums to show me she's listening as I keep looking over her children.

"Can you help me examine them?". She rises without a word and grunts.

"Go up to their heads and kneel down so you can see them good.". She walks around her children and I see out of the corner of my eye her kneeling down.

"I'm here.". I keep looking at my lover as I get Woman's help.

"Nair and Smart-Snake are both conscious and their eyes look somewhat normal, correct?". Nair and Smart-Snake both mumble and Travelling-New-Woman vouches for them.

"Their eyes are a little blurry and watery, but they look somewhat normal like you said.". I grunt.

"Alright, now look at your daughter's eyes.". I give her a few seconds before continuing.

"They should be blurry, but not completely white or clouded over. Are they?". A small pause.

"I can still see the color of her eyes, but it's hazy like you said. Is that good?". I nod before realizing she can't see.

"Very, very good. It means she's passed out but not dying.". Our examination is interrupted by Sif and Cat-Face returning. Cat-Face places some sticks down and Sif drops those he was carrying in his mouth. Cat-Face walks over towards his wife and I listen in on their conversation.

"Did you find some cloth?". A _jingle_ that tells me she's shaking her head.

"No, I was helping Vex examine the kids and make sure they were all okay.". Cat-Face chuckles a little before putting my mind at ease.

"You're in luck, then. I found a tapestry in the hallway I was able to yank down. It should work. I also got enough sticks for a sling and two sets of walking sticks.". I continue making sure my lover doesn't die, but I also can't keep my small amount of curiosity in check. I watch Travelling-New-Woman and Cat-Face carry Nair a few feet away. They help they wobbling son to his feet, then stick the sticks with notches at the top underneath either armpit. Cat-Face chops the sticks where they need to be cut until Nair has a cheap version of walking sticks and can hobble by himself. They do the same to Smart-Snake.

Nair and Smart-Snake are both barely standing on their own when their parents begin making the sling for their daughter. They take two long sticks, tie the tapestry to both sticks, and adjust it until it's a sling that can withstand her weight. They both carefully lift their daughter and move her over with me still pinching her artery closed and making sure she doesn't die. Cat-Face then awkwardly wraps his arms around me to lift his daughter with his wife while I have to also stand to keep her from bleeding. Once we're all standing, he speaks.

"You're my eyes, okay?". I nod and we're all off.

* * *

 **Note: I'll be going on a small vacation, so don't expect any updates until Thursday or later. Thank you for your patience and know it's appreciated.**


	45. Eternity

**Khajiit Knight POV:**

I travel the land between life and death with only Mephala as my company. The Prince and I have been stuck in this lifeless, blank limbo for eternity. She ran at first, determined as a criminal to run from me. She returned to me once she realized her fleeing brought her nowhere. She could run forever in this void and never gain an inch. The creature beside me hasn't spoken a word or shown me in any way she's Mephala, but I know. The monster is my height and weight, but twisted. My torso and arms are all that remains of me. Twisted, scraggly goat legs and a head have replaced my own. The legs are as natural as if they've been chopped off a goat, but the head is even more twisted.

Gnarled, twisted horns with blood and gore dangling and dripping from them, eyes sunken and swollen with white film that's overcome them, and teeth that force her jaw into a permanent ragged, jagged smile of fangs likewise covered in gore and blood. We've been together forever. I see that now. She crawled in me the second my heart started beating and followed me ever since. I'm free now, though. I know that and she knows that. I'm either dying in this limbo and she'll be forced to recreate herself, or I'll awaken and she'll be forced to jump into a nearby host for sanctuary. I briefly saw into her mind's eye when we were thrown in here together.

I know secrets and knowledge only the Princes and Divines know. I can't speak them though, and when I try focusing on them I can't form words to describe them. I've witnessed the creation and death of the plane of existence I live on. I've seen into the deepest pit in all of Oblivion and the highest mountain in the realm of the Divines. I know when I'm going to die, how, and who with. I don't know those facts, though. My mind is erasing them until all I have are fragments clasped in my hands. My mortal mind can't contain all the information and secrets contained in Mephala, so I'm forgetting them rather than going mad. Likewise, I know Mephala is going through the same thing.

She's seeing my life and my facts and knowing what it's like to live as a mortal. I'm sure neither of us are pleased with what we're seeing and forgetting, but neither of us can stop it in the slightest. We have to float in limbo and look at one another as we drink from each other's brains and well of knowledge. Slowly, the well runs dry. I've lapped up the last Mephala has to offer and she's finished drinking down the knowledge from my own skull. I expect a sudden shock to awaken me. For pain to flow through me and for my consciousness to be forced back into the mortal realm for my body to fully suffer. Thankfully, neither of those things happen.

I wake up and there's no pain. Nothing. Just a plain, wood ceiling above my head. I go to move and my muscles don't respond, but there's no pain. Nothing. I mean, yeah, I'd prefer feeling something to know I'm not dying, but not feeling anything is better than not feeling pain. I'm still thinking about the lack of pain when my lover's face hangs over me. Vex has a gigantic gash on her forehead and she looks grim, but her demeanor quickly picks up when she sees me looking at her. A smile graces her face and light comes to her eyes.

"You're awake!". I try my best to respond and tell her that I love her and need to know what happened. I don't feel it, but I judge by the spit that flies onto Vex that I can't talk. I stop trying to talk as she laughs and brushes my slobber off her face. For once, I'm excited to be awake. There's no pressure from Mephala in my head and nobody whispering in my ear. Finally, I'm just me. I expected to feel lonely and, thankfully, that's not the feeling I'm getting. All I feel is relief and happiness that I'm finally freed of the Prince that's been consuming me since the day I was born. And, I'm also excited by the fact Vex seems to have survived whatever Mephala made me do when she had complete and full control over my body and used me as her puppet for whatever she wanted. Vex knows me too well and begins telling me everything I'd ask if I could.

"You're okay and so is your family.". She cringes and the next news she gives me isn't as good as the first.

"Sif is gone, though. We were taking you out of the woods and he howled and ran off. He was twitching pretty bad. I'm sorry, but I don't think he made it.". I know exactly what happened. A single fragment of my knowledge I retained tells me Sif was what Mephala fled into, and he ran off into the woods Mephala made rather than return to this world. My brave, brave boy that I've been through so much together with is gone. I'm sure Mephala won't stay with him, but her woods are no longer connected without her having a grasp in this realm.

He'll be trapped along with all the other creatures in the forest, and if Mephala destroys it in a fit of rage he'll be killed along with all her other creations. Even if she doesn't kill him, he can't take care of himself and no other pack will take in an adult wolf unless he forces them to. My boy is good at fighting creatures of this realm, but he's small compared to other wolves in Mephala's forest. He'll either starve to death on his own, or another wolf will kill him when he wanders too close to their pack and can't force himself into it. Sif ran off into the woods with Mephala in his head knowing he'd die.

Tears begin rolling down my face. I feel Vex begin wiping them away and see and hear her whispering soft nothings to me. I do my best to swallow down my tears. I can't share why I'm crying to Vex. She'd never understand and I can't burden her with that knowledge. I can, however, take comfort in her. My next words actually form instead of coming out as spit.

"Vex.". She nods at me.

"Can you move me up and cuddle?". She nods and her face disappears. I'm weak and can't feel anything, but I see Vex pulling me up into a reclining position on the bed. White sheets conceal me from view and my view of the outside world. I don't complain. Right now, I just want to be with Vex. My love crawls into bed beside me and wraps her arms around my middle. I rest my head against her shoulder and sigh.

"Anything else I need to know?". She nods her head and fills me in.

"Smart-Snake and Nair were crippled during the battle, but they're healing nicely and are expected to recover fully.". She hesitates and I hear her thickly swallow.

"You, on the other hand, didn't get off quite so lucky.". I suck in a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"Tell me what happened.". Another small pause before Vex manages to gather her courage enough to tell me what happened while I was possessed.

"You lost your right leg. There was nothing anybody could do, and you're lucky just to be alive.". I bury my face in her hair. Shockingly, the news doesn't get to me. I'll never be able to do my knightly duties with a missing limb, but that's the least of my concerns. I could've died. I could've been possessed. There are far worse things than death, and I avoided not only them but also death itself. I'm the luckiest woman alive. I'm in the arms of my lover, my family is still together, and I get to live to see another day. I have to worry about what comes next, but some people don't even get that. I kiss the crown of Vex's head.

"I assume you had something to do with me being alive?". She nods into my shoulder.

"I held your bleeding artery closed until we were able to get to a healer that had the tools to properly tie it off.". I kiss her head again.

"I owe you my life, then. How about I return the favor I made you long ago? It'd repay my debt by giving you another life outside of thievery.". Vex makes a "hmm" noise and nuzzles deeper into the crook of my shoulder.

"What do you have in mind?". I'm wearing a thin, plain robe meant for patients in healing circles. Easily, Vex begins running her fingers up my bare belly and tempting me. I feel her touches only as vacant, distant sensations. That's why it's so easy for me to deny her what she obviously wants and instead stay the course I planned all along. I need to give both Vex and myself a new life.

"How about you become my personal physician? After all, I'm technically a Knight of the Eight. That means I get to remain with the order while being relieved of duties. I'll still need a physician, though. Someone to make sure my leg doesn't rot and I don't slit my own neck as a way to try to escape the pain. You fit the description perfectly, it'd give you a chance for a new job, and we'd both be set for the rest of our lives.". Vex looks at me with a wry smile and I smile back. I keep pushing her just the tiniest bit.

"So, what do you say? Want to be stuck with me the rest of your life?". She hums and takes her hands out from underneath my robe to rub them on my chest.

"Almost sounds like you're proposing marriage.". My father's voice interrupts us as the sheets begin to ripple.

"Unfortunately, my daughter isn't allowed to marry since she's taken her vows.". My father is dressed in a rich, scarlet robe that conceals all his bright violet scales save for those on his currently smiling face. My mother corrects her husband as the sheets ripple once more.

"Doesn't mean she can't get married and repent afterwards.". She steps through and tosses a casual arm over her husband's shoulders. She's dressed in a violet robe to hide all the scarlet scales save for those on her face. They reveal themselves, however, when she uses her other hand to motion at Cat-Face.

"Look at what we did.". I do my best to put Vex at ease before she starts panicking.

"Don't worry, I'm not proposing. Just trying to keep you around a little bit longer.". Vex pretends to think it over long and hard. She's wearing a grin bigger than her face when she finally gives me her answer, though.

"I supposed if you really need a doctor that badly, then I can be bothered to stick around for a few more weeks. Or a month.". I smile back at her.

"Is that a commitment I'm hearing from you?". She grabs the back of my head and pulls me into a kiss I still can't totally feel. I smile and let her.

* * *

Note: Vacation ended up lasting longer. I apologize for that, but it was fun and unplanned. Now, this story's gonna wrap up next chapter. I'll start working on both "Denerim's Shadow" on the weekends and a new Fallout: New Vegas story. More info coming next chapter.


	46. Home in the Heart

**Khajiit Knight POV:**

I never thought I'd be pleased with a return to normalcy. Now, almost a year after I lost my leg and had to learn how to walk all over again, I'm happy. Vex is mostly the reason for that. She kept me sane through the first few weeks of taking shaking steps like a newborn foal, the months of staggering along like a crippled old woman, and the even longer months of struggling to learn to run and climb and jump with my fake leg in case I ever needed to pursue criminals. Now, I'm almost the same as I was. Oblivion, I'm probably better considering I never needed to learn how to climb properly before getting my leg hacked off. My newfound ability to walk and run as I once was came with another surprise.

I was allowed back into the order, knighted once again properly, and allowed to take on duties befitting my position. Likewise, my brother and sister-once their legs healed and they learned alongside me to walk with weakened limbs carrying them-were able to resume their duties as a priest and shrine guardian respectively. I miss them. I've been around my brother for so long and Smart-Snake always seemed to attached herself to my side whenever I was around her. I understand why they left, though. The Order requires us to do what needs to be done. Priest are needed to guide others, knights are needed to protect others, and shrine guardians are needed to guard shrines so others may view them.

Of course, my life's been wonderful other than losing my family with my parents forced to remain near Bruma and my siblings going their own ways. I was put in charge of a small, humble building given by the Countess of Cheydinhal to the knights. The city's in ruins by now and hardly holding together, so the countess figured it best to have a group of holy knights to both protect the city and keep religion alive. The building is the plain white stone and purple wood as the rest of the city, but it's a good five stories. Its height is taken away by the fact it's rather shallow and small lengthwise and widthwise.

The bottom floor is made up entirely of the sitting room, the second floor is half of a kitchen/dining room and half of a room meant for bathing, the third and fourth floors are sleeping quarters separated by gender that house all the knights under me, and the top floor is completely mine including my own personal bathroom and kitchen/dining room. Of course, I'm sharing my living space with one more person. Right now, though, she's in bed and not taking up any of my floor space. As always, I'm awake and up before her. Currently, I'm on the only balcony on the entire building with the doors behind me thrown open. I'm naked from last night and without my fake leg. It was undignified hopping over here, but nobody was awake to see it.

I'm leaning against the railing on my balcony and looking out over the city as the sun slowly rises over the horizon. The city is dirty, cramped, and already bustling with activity I'm sure isn't legal, but there's also beauty in it. The light glimmering off the water, the marketplace on the far side of town raising its colorful banners, and the buildings older than myself made of the finest stonework and planks of violet ever cut and painted all make up for the less savory parts of Cheydinhal. I'm still admiring the view when a wet nose brushes my leg. A frown replaces the smile that was on my face. Bruno is a large dog, but I'm always worried he'll slip through the bars in my balcony and fall to his doom or, worse, he'll survive and be wounded enough I'll need to kill him.

My faithful hound quickly proves me wrong by sticking his head out between the bars with his wide shoulders preventing him from getting through anymore. I take a break from looking at my city and look down at my boy. The grey, shaggy mutt is almost as large as Sif was and when I found him he was about to be hacked to pieces by some beggars for snatching a rat they were frying in an alley. I tossed the bastards some coins, tied a rope around Bruno's neck, and he hasn't left my side for a single moment ever since that faithful day.

I watch the dog look around the city while slobbering off the balcony and letting his tail go back and forth in a blur. Things got lonely quickly when I realized Sif was never coming back. I'm not sure what happened to him and whether he died or somehow worked things out, but I hope his death wasn't painful or he's alive and happy. He was a good boy and deserved more than I could give him. For now, I'll make up to his memory me failing him by taking care of Bruno. That includes taking him away from edges.

"Bruno.". My dog whimpers, but backs up a few steps and continues sniffing the back of my leg. For a while, Bruno was convinced I was a giant cat and would occasionally bite my calves. So, it's no surprise to me when he begins gumming me lightly. I take my leg away and Bruno goes back to sniffing. He makes no further sign of wanting a bite of me, so I let it go.

Instead, I keep looking out over the city. Vex has been doing something amazing for this town I never would have guessed: she's getting rid of thieves. She knows exactly where thieves would hide, exactly what they would steal, and exactly when they would strike. She's been working with both the authorities and by herself to clean the streets up a bit. My lover's been both putting criminals in jail and offering assistance to those who'd like to clean up their lives.

She's also been acting as a medic. We don't often need one besides when the newer students begin training with swords that aren't blunted, but otherwise an occasional cold is the worst that befalls anyone. Of course, there's still my leg she deals with. It healed correctly, but it still causes me pains at times that nothing besides skooma eases. My job is to take the skooma if it feels like it won't go away soon, and Vex's job is to make sure I don't overdose and I never become dependent on it. So far, I've been lucky. The skooma hasn't awakened any hunger in me despite my Khajiit blood and I've been able to use it as little as I possibly could. For Vex, coming to this city has meant a peace she's never known elsewhere.

In the beginning, she wanted to go all the way back to Riften to either take her revenge on Sapphire and Delvin or save her Guild by revealing Mercer was the one stealing from them. She made the decision as I was packing to head to Cheydinhal at my father's command. We promised one another we'd meet up after she'd done what she needed to do. She rode halfway to Riften before riding for me as quick as Lucky (who Cat-Face was kind enough to retrieve along with Cupcake after learning where we'd hidden them) could carry her. She'd explained why once we were settled in.

She knew if she returned to her Guild she'd never come back to me. She'd either be killed or get so tangled up in matters of thieves she'd never be able to return. That, and the outstanding bounty on her head she'd never settled. So, Vex had, in a way, been happily stuck with me. To her, this time has been used to not only help thieves and make sure all the knights stay healthy, but to also perfect her craft. She's taken up taking care of dogs and cats medically at the local college for medicine. She's already practiced on Bruno a bit and she seems promising. Her joke was she learned how to take care of cats that can talk, so now she's trying to take care of cats that can't. I hadn't found the joke as amusing as her, but I was glad to see her trying new things. As for me, I'm doing well.

I've been training about forty men and women to become squires for actual knights. I even have a few knights and their squires in the barracks to help me and continue their training. My brother talked about getting some priest and guardians and such involved, but they're not what Cheydinhal needs at the moment. Cheydinhal needs competent people with swords getting everything back into order. I'm still thinking about how I'm going to train everyone today when two arms wrap around my middle and two tits press into my back. Easily, I find Vex's hand and bring it to my lips. My love whispers a prayer against my back.

"I love you.". I remember how infuriated and hurt I was when I learned Vex wasn't a jester named Sapphire who worshiped the ground I walked on. It's almost funny how things turn out sometimes. I found the love of my life and a woman who'd save me from dying hiding in the back of my wagon and nearly tore her head off thinking she was a random thief. I can't say I relish everything I've lost to get here, but I'm glad this was my final destination. Vex and I are even kicking around the idea of getting married and maybe even taking one of the street rats from down below as our own and trying to mold them into a proper citizen before they become a thief. So far, it's just talk and a few ideas late at night that we aren't comfortable bringing up in the light of day, but it's still an idea.

And, there'll be plenty of time to take it seriously. After all, Mephala isn't in this realm anymore and she has no sway over me. I've gotten my life back and I can enjoy it as much as I want. I lean backwards and release Vex's hands to wrap my own around the back of her skull. I turn my head and our lips meet. When we pull back I tell her what I want her to do for the rest of our lives.

"Never leave me.". She brushes my lips again and whispers a promise as solid as a vow.

"Never.".

* * *

Note: Thank you so, so much for reading this. It's not my favorite work, but I still think it's pretty good. You're probably wondering why I was gone so long. I not only wrecked my car, but two other cars that were parked beside me in the process. So, I've had to deal with that. Moving on, my next story will be entitled "Bull Ravager" and set in Fallout: New Vegas. The premise will be a NCR supporting, kind woman Courier suddenly becoming dedicated to the Legion and executing anyone not affiliated with them. Veronica and a companion I've not yet decided will begin chasing her down (since they're the only ones she doesn't shoot on sight) and try to find out why she's suddenly turned into the Fallout version of a literal Nazi robot. The story will come out within a week. -TheKhajiitWarrior


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